Rand Kurosaki: The Dragon Reborn
by Liam G
Summary: Blinking in confusion, Moiraine finds herself staring at a family that cannot, no, should not exist... and yet, there they are. A woman long thought dead and an orange-haired swordsman, both of them speaking with loving smiles to the young man she has come across earlier that morning. Who is Rand Kurosaki? Can he truly be the Dragon Reborn?


**Disclaimer insert here: I don't own or have ever owned Bleach or Wheel of Time.**

 **Robert Jordan is one of my greatest inspirations when it comes to writing: a man gone too soon from this world.**

 **All characters belong to their rightful owners, all OC are for entertainment value only. As usual an M rating is for future violence, dismemberments, gore, language, very foul language, and of course mature scenes will be in, but don't expect a ton of them. Again, enjoy your time here.**

 **Forgot to add this when I first posted: If you are expecting this story to adhere to canon, don't. I need and want flexibility in my stories, so, I won't be adhering to canon if it doesn't suit my needs.**

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 **Response to Reviews Corner 9: Will now be located at the bottom as with all of my stories from now on.**

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 **Beta & co-writing credit: regfurby**

 **Also, always read AN for any important news or information, it does have things not in the reviews corner.**

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 **Now I know many of you are patiently waiting for Destiny's Path's next chapter to come out and I will tell you now that I am hard at work at writing it, it might even become a 2-chapter release if I am not happy as to where to end it. Yes, the next of our favorites from the manga will be making their first appearances as we will get into the heart of where their story began.**

 **With that said, as for why this is coming out now first, that is simple. I found a story that truly had my gears turning at how simple things in the World of Time could have been so much different had Tigraine had lived after giving birth to Rand, this story is completely inspired by that story and if you get a chance to read or have already read it you know why it is so good. So, for those of you who are WoT fans I highly suggest reading: A Different Wheel by st122. I'll be honest, if I had found that story before I began A Ripple in the Pattern it might have changed things considerable, but now everyone gets 2 different visions of a Bleach x Wheel of Time crossover and I hope you all enjoy both stories.**

 **Thanks, and see you all with Destiny's Path next release.**

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"Speech"

' _Thoughts_ '

'Memories'

" **Hollow Zangetsu** "

XXXX

Hot.

Cold.

The battlefield's extremes attack her relentlessly as she shivers and crawls across the bloody snow-covered grounds looking for any kind of shelter to keep herself warm, or at least until she can bring her child into the world. Three days of constant battle have finally taken their toll on her body as well as her psyche, failing to notice herself on the edge of a small ravine until the edge crumbles and gives way, sending her rolling down the steep embankment where she comes to a stop by the side of a recently killed horse. The only thing she feels is welcome relief as she pulls herself into its lingering body heat, grasping at the coarse woolen blanket still tied to the side of its rider-less saddle. After a few fumbling attempts, the golden-haired woman manages to pull the blanket off the saddle and nearly weeps in joy when she finds another torn blanket hidden within. With her flagging reserves of strength, she barely manages to pull herself onto one of the blankets before wrapping the other around her body, just as the next wave of contractions begin.

'Is this how you saw my death, Moroso Sedai?' Shaiel, formerly Tigraine Mantear Damodred thinks to herself as she uses her dagger to cut off her pants, then her undergarments, before loosening the buttons of her jacket to give freedom to her belly.

As a new wave of contractions hits her, she grits her teeth and begins pushing. For several minutes, she pushes and pushes, desperate to save her baby, until she finds herself too weak to continue. Dropping her head back against the cooling side of the horse, she looks up at the sky and screams in despair. "Is this how I am to die Creator!? Alone!?"

Not expecting any answer, her eyes widen in shock when a man's voice calls out in response to her question. "Good thing I found you then."

XXXX

Ichigo's eyes begin surveying the war-torn field as he steps out of Kisuke and Shutara's heavily modified Spirit orb, similar to the one he had trained with nearly a decade and half ago when he went to rescue Rukia from her execution. Turning back, he grabs the only other possessions he has with him, two large duffel bags, and slings them over his shoulders. As he steps away from the orb that has been his home for the last seven months, the sphere breaks apart into Reishi particles which he promptly absorbs into his body and his Mother's Quincy cross. Watching as the last remnants of the orb disappear, the words spoken to him less then twelve months ago slam home into him, his comprehension the only undeniable condition of his acceptance.

' _If you agree to undertake this mission Ichigo, it is with the understanding that you will not be returning home._ '

"...What's done is done." He mutters.

Turning away, Ichigo faces the direction in which he senses the only living human presence nearby, and when the space around the orb folds back to normal he immediately uses Hirenkyaku to close the distance between them, knowing that this is the person he has been tasked to find and protect her child with his life. As he approaches, he feels her presence start to weaken; coming to a halt as her presence becomes too weak for him to pinpoint, he starts to scan the area more carefully for her, but all he sees are numerous dead bodies of soldiers, Aiel and animals lying scattered across the battlefield. Picking his way through the carnage, he surveys the ruined bodies looking for any sign of a pregnant woman with golden colored hair.

" **If she's under a few of those dead Aiel or a mound of men, things are gonna suck real quick.** " Zangetsu mutters out.

'Well, she has to be around here, I felt her but then she sorta disappeared...' Ichigo replies with a frown, wondering if he is too late. Just then, he notices something strange in the snow.

Bending down, he observes the disturbance closely and realizes that it might have been made by a body dragging itself through the snow. Following the furrow through the snow, he traces it to the edge of a steep slope and immediately hurries over, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of movement; at that moment, he hears a woman's despairing cry echoing from below.

"Is this how I am to die Creator!? Alone!?"

Shocked at the anger and bitterness in the woman's voice, he can't help but respond to her plea. He calls out in answer, but there is no response from her. Fearing the worst, he quickly jumps down the small ravine, spreading his senses to their widest until they detect faint signs of life where a blanket-covered body is lying propped up against a dead horse. Closing the distance, he sees short dirty golden hair and blue eyes peering up at him as the woman, half lucid and shivering uncontrollably from her exposure to the elements, attempts to pull the blanket over her exposed belly with one hand while her other fumbles with the dagger by her side. Taking in the entire situation and acting quickly, he pulls out an emergency blanket from one of his duffle bags and spreads it on the ground. Stepping closer to the woman, he quickly relieves her of her dagger, then picks her up bridal style and gently places her in the middle of the blanket, the woman too far gone to put up any meaningful resistance. Folding the two sides of the blanket over her body, he activates the warming Kidō that is part of the cloth and hears her give a sigh of relief. Seeing the woman's eyes drooping further, Ichigo quickly formulates a plan as he surveys the battlefield and sees what he has to work with.

Moving about the battlefield, Ichigo grabs several discarded but unbroken lances and sets out to build a shelter as fast as he can before the coldest part of the night engulfs the silent battlefield. Pulling saddles off dead horses and using them to stabilize his impromptu shelter, he also retrieves blankets, cloaks, jackets and coats from the bodies of the dead, tossing them over the rudimentary teepee he has erected from the lances to act as an insulator. Making sure to leave an opening for himself to enter, he carefully makes his way inside and leans over to check on the woman, only to discover that her breathing is growing labored. Bunching up the cleanest of the coats and jackets he found into a makeshift pillow, he props up the woman's head so she can breathe more easily.

"Hold on dammit. I didn't travel all this way for you to die on me." Ichigo mutters as he lays his hands on her belly and chest, the familiar green glow of Kaidō pushing back the darkness of the shelter as he focuses his energy on saving both mother and child.

Twenty minutes pass before Ichigo sees the golden-haired woman's eyes flutter open again. She looks past his shoulder at first, her bleary eyes staring confusedly at the roof of the makeshift teepee, then her eyes slowly pan around before coming to focus on his concerned golden-brown orbs.

"W-who are you? Why did you save me?" Shaiel feels her voice come out as a feeble croak, and she ends up coughing badly.

"Questions later, drink this first." The stranger raises a waterskin to her parched lips, tilting it so that she can drink.

Gratefully sipping at the lifegiving fluid, Shaiel feels her head clear as her thirst is quenched. Settling back once her throat no longer feels so dry, she is about to ask who he is again when a delicious smell assaults her senses. Blinking in confusion, she looks down to see the orange-haired man holding up a strange bag in his hand, the scent of food wafting from it.

"When's the last time you ate?" He asks her with a knowing look.

"Yesterday morning, we've been fighting almost non-stop since then." The golden-haired woman answers absently, taking the offered bag and fork he holds out to her. Strangely, she feels no urge to question the stranger's motives. Hesitantly taking a bite of the food and chewing carefully, the burst of flavors on her tongue and her ravenous hunger causes her to wolf down the rest of the food as fast as she can. She has barely finished eating and put aside the container when the next round of contractions hit her, causing her to curl up with a gasp.

"It's coming. My baby is coming." She shudders as yet another wave of contractions hit her, her hands gripping the blankets beneath her tightly.

The orange-haired man is swift to react, pushing her back onto the blankets before turning to his bags. "Like I said earlier, it's lucky I found you when I did." Rummaging around inside, he pulls out several smaller bags and places them beside him, then turns to her with an expression of utmost seriousness.

"I will answer your questions later. For now, save your strength to deliver your baby."

Unable to do much more than nod in agreement, Shaiel watches as the man shakes one of the bags vigorously before squeezing it hard, popping sounds filling the shelter. Turning to her, he carefully slides a hand beneath her back and raises her slightly, placing the bag on the blankets beneath her body before letting her settle down again. A welcome warmth radiates from the bag, its heat rapidly permeating her body and soothing away the soreness of her muscles.

As he turns back to his bags again, the adopted Aiel blurts out before she can stop herself. "Why are you helping me? I'm Aiel, your enemy."

The man pauses before turning to lock his eyes with hers. "You're not my enemy. I didn't come here to fight you or anyone else here. What does matter to me is helping you deliver your baby safely. How close are the contractions?"

Eyes wide with disbelief, she doesn't answer his question. "You are a healer?"

He nods curtly. "I am. So, how close are the contractions?"

"The time is getting shorter." Shaiel responds in a slight daze, watching as the orange-haired man nods before turning back to his bags once more. Pulling out yet another container, he places it next to his knees before opening it, then pulls on the thinnest pair of gloves she has ever seen.

"What is your name?" She finally asks as he pulls out several additional strange items from his container.

"Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki." The orange-haired man replies as he shakes a dark bottle filled with liquid a few times and sets it down. "Listen, I can give you something for the pain if you need it."

"I've given birth before E-chee-go." She says, trying to pronounce his name.

"I-chi-go."

"Ichigo." Shaiel pronounces his name correctly this time.

"What's yours?" He prompts her curiously.

Shaiel hesitates briefly. "Shaiel of the Chumai Sept, Taardad Aiel." She makes no mention of her other name, it is an identity she has left behind willingly. "I am one of the..."

"…Far Dareis Mai, I figured that out by the clothes you are wearing." The man finishes for her without even batting an eyelid.

Blinking, Shaiel examines the orange-haired man more carefully. "You… are a strange man Ichigo. Why are you helping me?" Before he can answer her, she flinches again as her contractions begin anew. "I-I think my baby is ready to come out Ichigo..."

The man immediately positions himself by her feet and props her legs wide apart. "Okay, lie back and when I tell you to push, you push as hard as you can, understand?"

Looking at his expression, she sees only determination to help her in his gaze. "Yes, I understand."

"Okay, now push!"

Shaiel begins pushing as hard as she can. Time flows by as she pushes, then rests when the man tells her to, then pushes again. After three days of fighting and crawling through the snow half-dead, the Maiden of the Spear can't understand where her strength to continue is coming from.

"I see the head! Come on Shaiel, push! Push harder!"

Arching her back, Shaiel screams as she pushes as hard as she can, feeling the baby passing through her birth canal. Moments later, a loud wail fills the small shelter, her baby filling the air with its cries. Weakly raising her head, she sees Ichigo gently wiping her child clean with a small towel, then cutting the cord attached to the baby and sealing the remainder with a strange device before pulling another smaller blanket out of his bag and wrapping the child carefully. Gazing tiredly at her beautiful baby, she sees Ichigo smile briefly, and his muttered words cause her to wonder just who he really is.

"Welcome to the world young man, I'll make sure you are ready to face it."

XXXX

Moiraine Damodred stares at the blanket covered body of Gitara Morose, her friend Siuan Sanche standing beside her. Both women are still in a state of shock, having witnessed the Aes Sedai go rigid earlier and speak her final vision.

' _He is born again! I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slope of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! Light help the world! He lies amongst the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!_ '

The moment her last word faded, the Green Ajah collapsed and died.

Both the Accepted jump when the Amyrlin suddenly opens the door, having left earlier to speak with several Aes Sedai in private. Hurrying to her desk, she motions for the younger women to approach as she writes out something on several sheets of parchment. As soon as she finishes, she folds them neatly and hands each of the young women one.

"Gather the Novices and the Accepted and wait in the dining room for a Sister to come for you. Those are your instructions for what I want done before it's too late." The Amyrlin Seat commands.

Moiraine and Siuan both curtsy deeply before hurrying to perform their duties, the young Cairhien woman glancing around before she darts into an alcove and lifts part of the letter she is carrying to peek inside.

"Moiraine, what are you doing?" Siuan hisses when she seen her friend stop to read their instructions.

"Shhh, you nitwit, you'll get us caught with your shouting, now keep watch so I can read."

Scanning the contents as fast as she can, Moiraine's head slowly nods before she closes the letter. Taking the Tairen woman's hand in hers, the young Damodred woman whispers into her friend's ear.

"She is sending us out to take a census of every child born these past few days."

Siuan blinks in confusion. "Why would she do that Moiraine?"

Grimacing, the noblewoman urges her friend to keep moving. "I have an idea but I don't want to talk about it now. Now, let's hurry and gather the others, I want to get out after being cooped up in the Tower for so long."

XXXX

Tam al'Thor sits down hard on the fallen log, his legs finally giving out after fighting in the snow for the last three days and then searching for the missing men he had led into battle. Driving his sword point-first into the ground, he folds his hands on the pommel and rests his head wearily upon them, the sight of so many men - and to his utter shock, women - lying dead and dying before the Shining Walls of Tar Valon making his decision to leave the Army of Illian easier. All around him, he hears the moans and cries of the wounded being tended to by Aes Sedai and other healers who had followed the massive Grand Alliance army formed by various nations to force the Aiel back over the Dragonwall. Now that the Aiel are moving back towards the Dragonwall in what most people are calling a retreat, the war has been declared over by their commanders and all they can do now is pick up the remaining pieces.

A pair of hands slide over his shoulders and a beautiful face appears in his peripheral vision. "Come and eat Tam. The light is fading too fast to continue searching."

Patting her hand gratefully, the Blademaster smiles as he stands up, wincing at the dull ache in his body before allowing the woman who has become the light of his life to guide him towards a very large tent. Pushing the tent flaps aside, Tam waits for his wife to enter before following her in. "Smells good Kari al'Thor."

Smiling at him, the red-haired woman hands him a small plate of bread and a wooden bowl filled with soup, both of them taking a seat at the table he is afforded due to his rank. Tam sits closer to the entrance with his sword, while Kari sits on his opposite side with her own plate of bread and soup. For the first time in almost a week, husband and wife share a hot meal together, one that had been denied them since before the start of battle three days prior. Tam al'Thor had fought on the frontlines with his Illian brothers-in-arms, while his wife had worked with the healers and Aes Sedai to recover the wounded from the battlefield and tend to their wounds.

After a filling, if not entirely satisfying meal, Tam pulls out his pipe and lights it with the last of his special Two Rivers tabac, imported from the village he had grown up in before leaving it behind to explore the wider world. Contently puffing out a ring of blue-grey smoke, he is alerted by the sound of voices approaching their tent, then the voices resolve into actual words.

"A cart! You want a cart now! Do you see what is going on around you, you country bumpkin!"

Tam exchanges a look with his wife before getting to his feet, wondering why anyone would want to disturb the peace when the violence had just ended only hours before. Pushing aside the tent flap, the Blademaster opens his mouth to demand what is going on when he pauses at the sight before him.

A tall male with impossibly bright orange hair is standing opposite an armored Shienaran warrior, the former gesturing angrily with one hand towards the person he is supporting, while the latter - who bears the crest of a Sergeant - has an equally angry and stubborn look on his face. Before Tam can say anything however, they are all surprised by the unexpected cry of a child. Tam is nearly bowled over as his wife rushes out of their tent, hurrying over to the young man's companion and fussing over the crying bundle in her arms. Regaining his bearings with a shake of the head, the Blademaster sighs and approaches the two warriors, breaking up their argument before they can begin again.

"Enough arguing! What is wrong with you two!?" The tone of command in his voice causes both men to turn their gazes instinctively towards him.

Seeing the Heron stamped scabbard at his side, the armored Shienaran warrior snaps to attention. "Blademaster! This man is going around demanding that a horse and cart be provided for him when everyone is busy dealing with the dead and wounded!" He attempts to jab the other man in the chest, but his hand is swiftly intercepted by the black dressed man, who grabs the offending limb by the wrist and flips him onto his back with a heavy, then pushes the edge of a slender pitch-black curved sword against his neck before anyone can react.

"Peace! Peace upon your sword!" Tam immediately shouts, grabbing the orange-haired man's sword-arm before freezing as a second shorter sword is suddenly pointed at his throat. Hoping to convey that he means no harm, he keeps his gaze firmly directed towards the swordman's face. "Peace…"

His voice trails off in surprise when he finally takes a good look at the young man's face. Despite the youthfulness of his appearance, the young man's expression is cold and hard, and his stare can easily match that of any war veteran. Added to the strong sense of hidden danger that seems to radiate from him, Tam finds himself unable to put a true age to the young man despite his own age and experience. What he does know for certain is that the young man is no simpleton or pushover. "… There's been enough killing these past three days, friend. Put down your sword and tell me what you are looking for."

Shifting his head slightly, the young man's golden-brown irises study the Blademaster intently, almost seeming to glow with an inner light, but Tam quickly dismisses it as a trick of the evening light. The young man's companion tugs briefly on his arm and whispers something; a short nod later, the young man untenses his body and pulls the shorter sword away from Tam's throat, then pointedly stares at his arm until Tam releases it, at which point he sheathes both his swords in the blink-of-an-eye. Stepping away from the downed Shienaran Sergeant, the young man folds his arms across his chest and stares at Tam challengingly.

"All I did was ask this jackass whether he knew where I could purchase a horse and cart so my companion and I could leave this area and head west. She just gave birth and we wish to be away from here as fast as possible, before the bodies begin to… well, you know what will happen soon."

Tam does know, because he and Kari are leaving at first light for the Two Rivers for that very same reason. Until the dead bodies are buried, burnt or removed, carrion eaters and grave robbers alike will flock to the area for weeks on end, adding to the lingering stench of blood and death that permeates the area. For that reason, he is even more intent on keeping the peace with the scowling young man.

"You are right. Tomorrow there will be plenty of carts or other means of travel available when the soldiers and their camp followers return to their own lands, so for tonight, please stay your sword and bear with it." Tam asks him politely.

Frowning, the orange-haired man finally nods before sticking his hand down to the Shienaran warrior who is staring wide eyed at them both. "Sorry about that, instincts took over. I'm still on edge from the long battle and worried for my wife."

Frowning, the Shienaran Sergeant looks from the young man's hand to the young man, then to the hooded woman at his side, then back to the young man again. Grunting his acceptance, the armored warrior takes the young man's hand, then yelps in surprise when he is swiftly pulled to his feet despite the heavy armor he is wearing. Staring at the orange-haired young man for a moment longer, he finally brushes at the dirt on his armor and nods with grudging respect. "Forgive me as well, I spoke too harshly. Good fortunes to you and your wife, and peace favor your sword." Turning away, the Shienaran Sergeant returns to his duties, but Tam catches him glancing back several times at the younger man over his shoulder with a puzzled look on his face.

Sighing as he dismisses the Sergeant from his mind, Tam turns back to the orange-haired young man, noticing that the scowl on his face has lessened significantly now that the Shienaran is gone. He is almost amused to see that Kari, who had briefly frozen during the earlier scuffle, has already recovered and is now speaking quietly with the young man's companion, who still has the hood of her light-yellow cloak pulled up over her head. Despite that, Tam can tell from her posture that the young woman is near exhaustion, and the way she is protectively cradling the small wrapped bundle in her arms strongly hints towards the only reason she is still somehow staying on her feet.

From the worried expression on the orange-haired young man's face, it appears that he is also aware of his companion's physical state. "Akane, looks like we'll have to bed down somewhere here tonight, there might not be anything available until the morning." The black-dressed warrior puts an arm around the woman's waist in support, allowing her to rest tiredly against him. Turning back to Tam, the stranger asks if he can point them towards a suitable place with firewood nearby where they can find a place to sleep for the night.

Before he can even reply, Kari immediately cuts him off and speaks up. "Under no circumstances will this young woman be sleeping outside with a newborn child. She can share the tent with me, you and my husband can bed outside for the night. You are both strong young men, a single night outside won't harm you. Besides, there is plenty of firewood here to keep you both warm through the night."

Both Tam and the young man gape at Tam's wife in disbelief, the orange-haired young man clearly startled by Kari's unexpected offer of help. "Ah, we wouldn't want to impose, ma'am..."

Kari al'Thor places her fists on her hips and raises one eyebrow. "Did I ask what you wanted?"

Taking a step back with his hands raised in a gesture of peace, the brown-eyed man shares a look with Tam, who leans over to whisper to him. "If you know what is good for you, don't argue with Kari when she gets that look."

"I've had plenty of experience with that particular look." The other man mutters in reply, before clearing his throat and introducing himself and his companion. "By the way, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki and wife's name is Akane Kurosaki. May I have your names?"

Mildly intrigued by the Shienaran-sounding names, Tam offers him a hand to shake. "Tam al'Thor, and this is my wife Kari al'Thor. Kari, why don't you get Akane settled in for the night? I'll go and see the Quartermaster for some extra blankets for tonight, I suspect both Ichigo and I will be needing them." He casts a meaningful look at the snow that still drifts down around their camp site.

Before his wife can respond, Ichigo's wife, Akane, looks up at her husband. "Will you be alright sleeping outside, Ichigo?"

To his surprise, Ichigo's face visibly softens and he gives her a surprisingly gentle smile. "I've dealt with colder weather before Akane, just worry about yourself and the baby."

Nodding, she is about to join his wife in the tent when Tam's curiosity gets the better of him. "Does the baby have a name?" He suddenly asks.

Akane and Ichigo exchange a look, then the yellow-cloaked woman turns to face him. "We haven't found the time to name him as of yet…"

Kari suddenly speaks up again. "A boy... How about Rand then?"

Tam gives a start at his wife's suggestion. "Kari!? I thought you wanted that to be the name of our firstborn son when we… you know… started our own family?"

His red-haired wife smiles warmly at him. "Rand is a good name for any young man who survived being born today, Tam. We'll just use my Father's name for our first born."

"I suppose so." Tam grouses reluctantly. In all honesty, he has been looking forward to naming his son Rand, but finds that he cannot begrudge the newborn babe his name. Kari is right, it is a good name for a boy who has survived being born surrounded by war and death. "Does Rand sound suitable for the baby's name, Akane, Ichigo?"

Akane looks down at the baby in her arms, the soft smile on her face visible beneath the hood of her cloak. She looks up at her husband who is standing beside her, watching both her and her baby with eyes that shine with warmth. "Ichigo?"

"It's a fine name for him Akane." He reaches out and gently smooths away the small wisps of hair from the forehead of the baby boy. "Rand Kurosaki."

The young woman smiles, leaning against him tiredly. "Rand Kurosaki, it is."

XXXX

Ichigo adds a few more logs to the fire while Tam al'Thor sleeps soundly a few feet away under a heap of blankets. He had volunteered to stay up for the first half of the night and keep the fire going so neither man would freeze during the long cold night. Soldiers and camp followers would occasionally stop by and warm their hands or feet at their fire for a few minutes, huffing and stomping quietly to get their blood circulating once more before moving on. However, he is intrigued when a young woman of all people stops by his fire to ask him if there are any newborn children in the tent.

"No children inside, just two very tired women Accepted." Ichigo replies, his sharp eyes seeing the seven bands of color at the bottom of the woman's white dress.

"It's nice to see someone who knows who we are." The woman smiles at him. "Thank you, good Master for your help; may the Light embrace and protect you on your journey home."

After the Accepted has walked away, Ichigo goes back to stoking the fire, the memory of how he ended up here entering his thoughts unbidden as he stares into the flames, remembering how on one ordinary morning, a little less than a year ago, it all began...

 **XXXX Flashback XXXX**

He was the first one awake that morning, Yuzu and Karin were still sleeping in after returning from their three-month vacation spent with Kūkaku and Ganju. Deciding to make breakfast for everyone, Ichigo pulled out the ingredients needed to make waffles and scrambled eggs for everyone. Besides the twins, Rukia, Renji and little Ichika were staying at their house so the two Shinigami could take their daughter to one of the larger amusement parks as a gift for her eleventh birthday. Ichigo offered Rukia and Renji his Father's room since the man had unexpectedly left for Soul Society two days ago and so they wouldn't have to spend money on an expensive motel, while Ichika slept with the twins. As the first of the waffles began to cook, he became aware of Ichika walking into the kitchen rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Oji-san what are you making?" The red-haired child asked as she stopped near the stove.

"Waffles. Byakuya-oji-san loves when Yuzu makes them, mine are just so-so in his opinion." Ichigo remarked as he started cutting fresh berries as an optional topping.

The younger Abarai watched him make breakfast while asking questions about what she could expect when her family visited the amusement park the following day. Soon, the smell of breakfast must have made its way upstairs as both Ichigo and Ichika heard the soft thumps of footsteps emanating from the two occupied bedrooms. The first to appear downstairs was a very grown-up Karin, her years of training with Yoruichi made the dark-haired twin very popular with the male population of Soul Society, but also very untouchable once they learned who her older brother was. Yuzu's talent on the other hand lay with both Kidō and Kaidō as well as their Quincy heritage, her latter abilities being better than most of the surviving Sternritters who - after swearing their allegiance to Uryū - were allowed to either leave for the World of the Living or stay in Soul Society; all of them chose to live in Karakura with their new King.

Rukia and Renji were the next to sit down at the dining room table, the married couple smiling when their daughter placed cups of coffee in front of them.

"Thank you dear." Rukia said before she took the first sip of the dark liquid.

Renji scooped his daughter up and kissed the top of her head before releasing her after she threatened him. "Let me go Tou-chan or I'll kick you in your shin!"

"Well that's familiar." Yuzu remarked with a smile as she slid into her chair. "Ichigo's cooking?"

"Yeah, woke me up." Karin said as she accepted her cup of coffee from Ichika. "I can't remember the last time we woke up without Goat-Chin's usual antics. Maybe we can bribe Soutaichō into barring him from coming back home?"

"I'll put up half my salary if you can make it happen." Ichigo added as he placed down two trays stacked high with waffles, his little assistant placing the syrup and toppings next to her parents.

"I'll put up what I can." When Yuzu grew older and brought home her first boyfriend, she finally understood why her siblings were so harsh in their dealings with their Father. "Or I can use some of the new Kidō Hachigen-san has been teaching me."

"As amusing as it is to hear you plot Otou-san's demise, Orihime invited us to dinner tonight so I'd like to get a gift for her and Uryū." Rukia remarked as she piled several waffles onto her plate and Ichika's.

Just as Ichigo was about to tell her he'd take her out shopping for a gift since he needed to pick something up for Sora as well, a knock at the front door and the Reiatsu they all felt caused everyone at the dining room table to look at each other with puzzlement. Ichigo hurried to the door and opened it, addressing the person standing in the doorway.

"Suì-Fēng Taichō, what brings you here?" Ichigo asked as he waved the petite Captain inside.

"You." She answered bluntly as she made her way into the dining room. "Sorry, Kuchiki Taichō, Abarai Fukutaichō, but I'm here to bring everyone back to Soul Society. The Reiō has requested not only our presence, but has also sent messengers to inform our human and Arrancar allies that they are invited to attend the meeting: he is making it mandatory."

"Does that mean we aren't going to the amusement park tomorrow Kaa-chan?" Ichika's eyes grew shiny with tears.

"I promise that I will make the Soutaichō give your parents an extra week off to make up for this Ichika-chan." Once famous for her icy attitude, Suì-Fēng's personality began to change after she started spending time helping Yoruichi train Karin, and over the last ten years had spent numerous weekends with them instead of staying at the shouten, her disdain for Kisuke never diminishing.

The Chinese Shinigami took a seat next to Karin, who wordlessly handed her a plate as she addressed the violet eyed child. "I'm sorry for ruining your birthday gift Ichika-chan, but the Reiō is someone we cannot ignore when he 'requests' our presence to inform us of…"

Everyone stopped eating and turned to look at the Squad Two Captain when she didn't complete her sentence, Yuzu being the one to ask the question. "Inform us of what Taichō?"

Suì-Fēng's expression was troubled. "I don't know actually. What I do know is that we all must be in attendance, everyone from Karakura included. Everyone. We'll be stationing no one less than the rank of Third Seat from most of the Squads to keep the town safe until after the meeting is over."

Ichigo whistled at hearing the news. "Something big must be coming up if he's calling for everyone to attend."

"I wonder if Nii-sama knows something." Rukia pulled out her phone and hit the speed dial for her older brother. "Good morning Nii…" Her voice cut off abruptly as she listened to her brother speak on the other side of the conversation.

"I see. Thank you Nii-sama. We'll be there as soon as we gather the others. I'm sorry for bothering you." Rukia hung up the phone and stared at it with a contemplative look. "He knows of the meeting, but knows nothing of why it has been called for. He did say something interesting though. Kisuke, Yoruichi and… Isshin Tou-san just returned from the Royal Realm."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Goat-Chin saw the Reiō with Kisuke and Yoruichi. Shit, this is not going to be good if those three are involved. Shaolin?"

"I had no idea that Lady Yoruichi was even in Soul Society, she must have used the Shihōin Senkaimon." Suì-Fēng glanced at Ichigo briefly. "Why would she have a need to hide her visit?"

"We'll find out soon enough." Ichigo glanced at his phone when it vibrated. "Yuzu can you give me a hand making some extras for breakfast? Uryū and Chad texted, they're on their way over here now."

"What about Tatsuki?" Karin asked hesitantly.

Ichigo turned to face his dark-haired sister with a blank expression on his face. "She made her choice Karin, she made it clear she wants nothing to do with this life we lead."

XXXX

Four hours later, Ichigo stood behind Rukia as her acting Lieutenant, with Grimmjow and Nelliel standing behind him as the meeting was called into order. The room was filled with every survivor of the Quincy War, including Uryū, his wife Orihime, Ryūken, the Espada and the Arrancars lead by Queen Halibel. Standing in the middle of the two rows of Captains were the three Shinigami that everyone now knew had been summoned by the Reiō days earlier. However, they hadn't spoken once about what was going on, Isshin instead choosing to tell them it was the Soul King who was going to inform them as to why they had all been called to attend the meeting.

When a hazy figure suddenly appeared in the room, everyone bowed deeply to the figure.

"Please rise." The Soul King intoned politely. "It pleases me to see all of you standing together once again. I do apologize that I made my request mandatory, but with what I must ask of you today, I felt it pertinent that each of you were present as this decision will affect each and every one of you. Especially you Ichigo-kun. Please step forward."

All eyes snapped towards the orange-haired Lieutenant as he stepped around his stunned Captain, everyone except Isshin, Yoruichi and Kisuke whose faces remained blank. His own unease rose even higher at seeing them so emotionless as they watched him approach the Soul King. Once he was standing before the apparition of the Soul King, Ichigo bowed politely again. "How may I be of service again Reiō-sama?"

He was taken aback by the sadness that was clearly visible on the powerful being's face as the Soul King began to address him and those in attendance.

"Ichigo, do you wonder if humans inhabit only this planet?" The Soul King asked.

"I think it would be a waste of a universe if that was true Reiō-sama." Ichigo replied.

The Soul King smiled at hearing the answer. "You are correct, it would be a waste. As such, there is a planet that exists far away, one of the very first worlds that humans appeared on, a race of humans whose power could have once rivalled any Shinigami…"

For several hours, the Reiō explained the Age of Legends and the events that led up to the War of Shadow, the Sealing of the Bore and the after-effects of the 'taint'. Ichigo had seen the tightening of many eyes as the Reiō described the atrocities committed during the war, then afterwards by the survivors who had lived through what they called the Breaking of the World. Countless nations had risen and collapsed, the Blight and the Blasted Lands being the only constant as they slowly but steadily encroached southwards into the lands of men, with the Northern people eventually creating the Borderland Nations to protect the ignorant populations of the Southern Nations. As he drew to the conclusion of the other world's history, the Soul King began to divulge the mission.

"This is where my sight of the world becomes hazy due to the influence of the Evil trying to break free, from this point forward it is murky and hidden from my abilities to predict its future. What I can predict though is that a child will be born within the year, on the slopes of Dragonmount to a Far Dareis Mai, one of the Maidens of the Spear. He will need someone to guard him, teach him, and guide him, to help him prepare for the destiny that awaits him. This child will be the reborn soul of Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon who led the Hundred Champions to seal the Bore, but in doing so doomed all men who would channel to madness. This birth will be the pivotal point of this world's future, it... could go either way if the Shadow gains too much of an influence over him." The Soul King stopped and looked sadly at the young Shinigami whose face bore numerous thoughts.

Before the Reiō could begin to speak again, Ichigo interrupted him. "When do you want me to go?"

The Soul King shook his head. "I commend you for your eagerness Ichigo-kun, but it is not that simple of a decision, which is why I ordered everyone who is important to you in your life to attend today's meeting. This decision is as much theirs as it is yours. I won't ask you to accept my request unless you and they all know of the one absolute condition involved if you should accept my request, and have discussed it at length with everyone in this room. The reason they are here to help make you make this decision is because Squad Zero and Kisuke Urahara cannot, and will not guarantee that they have the means or ability to bring you back home."

His purple-eyed gaze bored into Ichigo's own. "If you agree to undertake this mission Ichigo, it is with the understanding that you will not be returning home."

Gasps escaped more than a few persons attending, even Ichigo was stunned by this admission. "Ichigo, Squad Zero and I only have enough power to send you there with the necessary supplies and knowledge you will need to survive in this new world. It will take a great deal more power than what we have to bring you home, that is if you even survive the coming conflict. I will give you until tomorrow to discuss your answer with your friends, comrades, and especially with your family. If you accept, then you must come to the Royal Realm with your Otou-san, Urahara-san, Shihōin-san, and I ask that your younger sisters come as well as I wish to speak to them. If you decide not to accept, there will be no repercussions, all here today will just have to prepare for if the destined one fails and Evil triumphs. I will await your answer tomorrow."

With those words the figure vanished, and no one stopped Ichigo as he walked out of the room.

XXXX

Several minutes later, Ichigo sat staring at the city below him while he leaned against the remnants of the Sōkyoku Hill execution site, a place that saw one of his earliest victories and greatest defeats in the span of a few hours. As he sat there, he realized that he had begun to see Seireitei as the place he would possibly call home in a few years, since his life as a human was growing dull in comparison to his life as a Shinigami. Now, he was asked to leave it all behind to help another world's savior prepare to fight an evil that would make Yhwach and Aizen look like tamed puppies in comparison, an evil that might find its way to his world should it break free. He knew deep in his heart that he wanted to go, to fight and help defeat the evil there and not allow it to bring its destruction to his world. He knew he would be facing a situation that he might not live to see the end of, but the choice was his to defend, and he would defend it with all his heart if he had to.

He was startled out of his thoughts when his Dad appeared in front of him, the look on the older man's face causing him to flinch at seeing how utterly devastated his Father looked, especially when he saw Isshin's eyes.

"...I'm going, but you already expected that didn't you Tou-chan?" He remembered asking his Dad, however his Dad's answer wasn't the one he had expected.

"I don't want you to go Ichigo! If it wins and comes here, we'll face that evil together, here! Not there by yourself dammit!" Isshin yelled with his fists clenched tightly.

Surprised by his Dad's reaction, he couldn't help but ask why his Father would try and talk him out of it.

It was then that Isshin squatted down in front of Ichigo, placing his palms on his son's cheeks. "Because _you_ are my only son, Ichigo. _You_ are Masaki's only son. _My son_ , who defeated Aizen without using his true potential. _My son_ , who defeated Yhwach with his cousin Uryū at his side using his full potential and losing a part of himself forever. _My son_ , who has done enough to match the efforts of a hundred Shinigami for the next thousand years. _My son_ , who deserves a chance to marry, have children, to grow old with his family surrounding him. _My son_ , who deserves to put the weight of the world down for someone else to pick it up for him this time."

By this point, tears were rolling down Isshin's cheeks. Stunned by his Dad's heartfelt answer, Ichigo faltered only for a moment before steeling his resolve. Placing his hands over his Father's hands, he spoke from his heart.

"I have to do this Tou-chan, you know it has to be me who does it. If there was someone else, you wouldn't have needed to go and see the Reiō to talk him out of it, would you? I have a chance to ensure this child of destiny is given every opportunity to win because he'll know what will be coming for him. I won't keep him in the dark and have him bumbling around like I did when I first stepped foot into your world. Please, for me Tou-chan, let me do this?"

Ichigo felt his own tears begin to fall for the first time since Kūgo Ginjō tried to steal his powers when his Dad engulfed him in a hug and whispered into his ear. "Promise me you'll live to be old and gray before you pass on, Ichigo? Promise me that you will try and find a woman to love, have children to raise, and find endless peace when it's all over with? Just promise me that you'll live your life to the fullest boy?"

"I promise you Otou-san, I swear it."

It was a long time before either man let go of the other.

XXXX

Entering the room with his Dad at his side, Ichigo knew he might be having a huge argument with nearly everyone in the room by the looks he was receiving, Yuzu's and Rukia's being the worst, with Ichika's and Karin's a close second.

'Fuck, do they look pissed.' He thought as he remained standing in the doorway with everyone glaring at him.

" **Get it over with King. You made up your mind, now you have to make up theirs.** "

"All right, a show of hands for who doesn't want me to go."

He nearly face-faulted when every hand went up, even Grimmjow's. "Okay, a show of hands for those who do know I've already decided I'm going and you know I am the only who can go."

The same hands stayed up. He sighed.

"If there was any other way, Kisuke and Shutara would have thought of it by now, but they didn't. Goat-Chin probably had to agree begrudgingly once he knew there was no other way. And I'll bet my last three years of salary that Yoruichi tried to bribe her way into tagging along for the ride."

"I did try. I offered nine different amounts and he still said no, that bastard." Yoruichi grumbled from her position between Kūkaku and Suì-Fēng.

"Yuzu."

The youngest of the Kurosaki siblings turned her face away. "NO!"

"Yuzu, please." Ichigo begged as he moved closer to his sister.

"No! Let Kurotsuchi Taichō invent something and send that instead."

Most of the room's occupants were shocked by the answer because they realized they hadn't thought of it yet. No one had questioned Mayuri Kurotsuchi's absence from the meeting since the Squad Twelve Captain held little regard for Ichigo, or indeed anyone else at all.

"He can't Yuzu, not without using one of us as a guinea pig, and do you think anyone here is gonna allow that?"

Ichigo could see Yuzu faltering, but she played her last trump card. "Who is going to cook for you? Make sure you're taking care of yourself?"

He faltered as well. The thought of not having Yuzu's cooking…

"You'll have to teach me with what little time I'll have left Imouto. Please."

When her tear-stained face turned to him, he was stunned by her last question. "Why do you want to leave us so badly Ichi-nii?"

Closing the distance to his youngest sister, he pulled Yuzu into his arms. "Because Yuzu, their world has suffered enough from the first time it faced this creature. You and Karin remember what our world faced when the balance was failing after Yhwach stole the Soul King's power. I can't and won't let another world face that danger again if I can do something about it. So please Yuzu, let me go."

After a few minutes of hugging him tightly to hide her tears, she finally replied. "Okay. Promise me you'll always think about us every day when you are there."

"That's one promise I'll never have a problem forgetting." He replied hoarsely, fighting back his own tears.

Rukia spoke next, her voice carrying throughout the room. "I guess as my Fukutaichō you'll want a leave of absence then? I always knew you would figure out a way of getting out of doing your share of the paperwork."

Ichigo gave her a watery smile, which widened into a grin when the Soutaichō immediately leapt forward. "I'll go!" He shouted.

Hearing Shunsui's declaration, the room broke out into laughter and by the end of the meal, everyone finally made peace with Ichigo's decision to accept the mission.

XXXX

The next morning, he left for Kūkaku's house with his Father, the twins, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and his cousins Kūkaku and Ganju. When they entered the Spirit orb to take them to the Royal Realm, Ichigo grabbed one hand from each of his sisters and grinned at them.

"Get ready for one hell of a ride Yuzu, Karin!" He said as he felt the Kidō powering up.

Seeing Kisuke's face paling, Ichigo began to laugh. "After all the trips you have made to see Squad Zero, you still haven't gotten used to this!?"

"My way is safer and less violentttttt!" Kisuke managed to scream before Kūkaku launched them into the sky.

When the trip ended, Ichigo and the others were greeted by Senjumaru Shutara whose floating palace they had landed on. It was then that Ichigo received his first shock about the mission, his body had been stolen from the World of the Living and Kon was back in his plushy, waiting for Yuzu's return home.

"We had to modify your body so you can use your powers within it or have the ability to leave it without the need of a gikongan Ichigo. You would have needed to bring with you perhaps hundreds, if not thousands of gikongan if you had need of their use to leave your body. This way will be much easier on you and your body." The six-armed Shinigami explained as she helped him slip his body back on. "From today until you leave, you will train here using your real body so you are prepared for the powers you will face."

For nearly four grueling months after that, he trained with Squad Zero, Kisuke, Yoruichi and his Father until he could react without a thought to any situation they put him through. Yoruichi and Isshin made him learn the ways of nobles as the possibility would arise that he would have to deal with them eventually. One surprising instructor was the one person he never thought would willingly step foot into the Royal Realm again, Ishida Ryūken. If he thought only Shinigami were brutal task maskers, he was given a rude awakening by his distant cousin's training regimen. Towards the end of his training with the Elder Ishida, however, Ryūken placed his hand over Ichigo's palm and left his Mother's cross lying there.

"Use it with the Pride of a Quincy, Ichigo. Yuzu wanted you to have it so I gave her Sōken's cross as a replacement for this one."

He was so surprised by the gift that he almost fumbled it, but managed to hold on to it somehow while he unclasped the cross he had been training with up to that point. Handing his cross over to Ryūken, Ichigo noticed his cousin staring blankly at it for a moment before slipping it into his trouser pocket. The subtle reminder that it had once belonged to Jugram Haschwalth not lost on either of them.

As he fastened the clasp of his Mother's cross around his wrist, Ichigo suddenly panicked when he realized he hadn't said goodbye to her yet.

"Oi, Hyōsube Taichō, any chance I can get a day off to return to the World of the Living? There is something very important I have to do before I leave." Ichigo asked of the commanding officer of Squad Zero.

The Shinigami known as Monk Who Calls the Real Name slapped him upside his head. "Still rude as always Ichi-kun, but I am pleased that you have finished all of your training not just on schedule but five days ahead. So, with those five days, you may use them as you see fit, so long as you remember to return the morning of the fifth day and no later."

"Thanks." He said before following Shutara, Kisuke and Ryūken out of the room to visit Ōetsu Nimaiya and have him create a Chōkaimon for them to the World of the Living.

Once they made it back to Karakura, Kisuke told him that his 'death by natural causes' had already been planned for. Ryūken would make the initial call to his Dad, wondering why Ichigo had not reported for his scheduled shift at the hospital at which point Isshin would then make the grim discovery that 'Ichigo' passed away in his sleep. They planned to stage his death and then hold the funeral several days after he left for the Royal Realm by himself. Ichigo's only condition was that the Gigai would not be interned with his Mother, he would never dream of desecrating her grave for a ruse.

The next morning after he returned home, Isshin, the twins and himself went to visit Masaki as a family for one last time. After letting Karin and Yuzu speak to their Mother first, his turn finally came. Placing his flowers on her grave, he stared at the engraving of her name until it was burned into his memory. Placing his hands together, he prayed for her guidance and asked that she watch over Yuzu and Karin now that he couldn't. The last part of his prayer was for his Mother alone to know.

"No matter what Kaa-chan, I will find a way home." He said as he traced the writing of his Mother's name. "I promise."

After three more days of just being with his Dad and the twins, he agreed for one more party to be held in the underground basement beneath Urahara's shouten on his last night in Karakura. As it turned out, he was lucky it had been held there because by the end of the night he ended up in a three-way brawl between himself, Kenpachi and Grimmjow, the Arrancar keeping up with the pair until Zaraki released his Bankai and Shunsui had to step in to reign in all three and put an end to the fight, much to the Squad Eleven Captain's dismay.

The morning of his departure, the Chōkaimon opened in Urahara's basement right on schedule.

Looking at the glowing light of the gateway, Ichigo turned to face everyone. Seeing them all together, he pulled his Denreishinki from his pocket and snapped several pictures of the group. Ichigo gave his sisters, Rukia, Orihime and Ichika hugs first, before hugging or shaking hands with each and every one of his friends who had come to send him off.

"Take care of yourself Kurosaki-kun" Orihime said fondly as he began to step through the Chōkaimon.

"I promise."

When Ichigo arrived back in the Royal Realm, Ichibē Hyōsube was the only one there to greet him.

"Reiō-sama wanted you to spend the last hour with him."

Curious, Ichigo had asked why, to which the Squad Zero Captain honestly replied that he did not know.

The meeting with the Spirit King didn't last more than an hour, but in that time, Ichigo gained a smile on his face as he grinned, thinking of the gifts he had been given and how to use them to his advantage. The smirk on the Reiō's face was priceless as he guided Ichigo out of his chambers.

"Just because I can't interfere directly Ichigo, doesn't mean I don't know the value of stacking the deck in my favor." The Soul King had said.

"I couldn't agree more Reiō-sama."

As he stepped out of the Soul King's chamber, the Reiō stopped him. "Thank you Ichigo-kun, for everything you have done to preserve Soul Society."

"I only did what I had to do."

The Soul King nodded. "You should hurry now Ichigo, they are waiting." With that, Ichigo shunpōed to where he could feel Kisuke and Shutara waiting for him.

Finding them waiting near a much larger Spirit orb, he knew what was going to happen, so he quickly lay down in the reclining chair that would sustain his body for the seven-month trip. Watching Shutara and Kisuke hook up the various I.V. lines to his arm, he found his eyes growing heavy quickly as the fluid began to flow into his veins. Twisting his head, he heard Kisuke speaking one final time.

"Your body will be going into a state of hibernation Ichigo, during that time you will be exposed to various Kidō to help you learn and understand in better detail the world you will be going to. Everything you see and hear will be what you can expect to encounter among those people." The grey-haired scientist paused before briefly grabbing Ichigo's hand in a firm grip. "Ichigo, you are my greatest pupil, use what I have taught you and you'll be fine."

In his final attempt to lighten the somber mood, Ichigo replied to his mentor in the only way he could. "I'll remember to tell Yoruichi and Goat-Chin that you got soft on me in the end." Then unconsciousness took over.

 **XXXX End Flashback XXXX**

A crackle from the fire causes him to realize that the fire had died down to embers while he was reminiscing. Throwing several logs onto the glowing coals, he quickly builds the fire back up and resumes his watch, deciding to let Tam sleep through the night. Ichigo continues keeping watch until the sun starts to peek up from the Eastern horizon. Seeing more and more people waking up and beginning to move around the camp, Ichigo figures that he and Akane, the alias that he had given the golden-haired woman, should get an early start at finding a cart and a few horses to buy for their journey south into Andor.

After the birth of her son, Shaiel had been torn between finding the surviving Aiel and allowing them to believe she had died during the battle. It was then that Ichigo had told her the truth as to how and why he had come to find her. To say she was shocked would have been an understatement.

' _Y-you are from another world… A Death God… Sent by the Creator to guard my son… Why?_ '

Shaiel nearly fainted, but she showed her innate strength by forcing herself to remain conscious; he briefly explained to her the circumstances of why he was here and who he really was in the two hours he had given her to recover from the birth, while feeding her food and drink designed to accelerate her healing.

He could see the pain in Shaiel's eyes when she looked down at her son, knowing now that her baby boy was destined to fight the Dark One in Tarmon Gai'don; this proved to be the deciding factor in her decision to follow after him into hiding. She told him of the Karaethon Prophesies and that part of those prophesies foretold that the Dragon Reborn would be of the ancient blood who would be raised by one of the old blood. She felt sure that she was of old blood and that Andor would be a good place to hide her child until the time of Prophecy came to fruition. It was then that Shaiel remembered the Two Rivers area lying in the furthest region of Andor, a place that had seen neither tax collector nor Queen's Guard in several generations.

' _Because the Two Rivers is so isolated from the rest of Andor, few people venture there save a handful of merchants who visit for their tabac and wool. We should be able to hide amongst their people without worry Ichigo, to give my son time to grow and become strong enough to face the Shadow._ '

He still remembers the surprise he had felt when he questioned how a Maiden of the Spear would know so much about such an obscure part of Andor.

' _It would be odd for any Aiel to know that Ichigo, but I once went by another name before I became a Maiden of the Spear._ '

Smiling at his obvious curiosity, she laughed when his jaw fell wide open at her following words.

' _My name at birth was Tigraine Mantear, former Daughter Heir, and the rightful Queen of Andor._ '

"You didn't wake me Ichigo?" Tam's voice breaks into his thoughts, bringing him back to the present once more.

Ichigo shrugs. "I don't need much sleep Tam. Besides, you were forced out of your tent because of me and Akane."

The dark-haired man rolls his eyes as he removes the blankets he had slept under. "Well, given that you have a newborn son it made that decision easier for Kari and I."

Knowing the married couple had gone out of their way to help them, Ichigo feels a certain obligation to repay the man and his wife by offering them some of his gold as well as buying them breakfast.

Tam waves off his offer. "There's no need to pay us Ichigo. As for a morning meal, I doubt there will be much to choose from today, but I'll let Kari know you and I will be looking for a meal and that horse and cart you were asking about yesterday."

At that moment, Kari al'Thor steps out of the tent and joins their conversation. "How about you stay and watch over Akane and the baby, and I take Ichigo to buy food? The baby is still breastfeeding, but they'll need to buy provisions for their journey as well as necessities for themselves and the baby."

Tam looks at his wife consideringly, but nods his head in agreement. "You would be better for the task as you know the camp layout better than I. Here, take this to help buy what we'll need for our trip to the Two Rivers."

"Two Rivers?" Ichigo injects with surprise at hearing of the al'Thor's destination. "Talk about good fortune then, Akane and I intend to go there as well to look for some land to call our own. We wouldn't mind having the company and it would prove safer for us all if we traveled together as a group, if you don't have any objections that is?"

Surprised by this revelation, Tam shares a look with his wife before they both nod their heads. "I agree, it would be safer for us as a group, and I can advise you on what land is best for farming or raising sheep…"

"Oh, I don't intend to farm or raise animals, I just need a place to call home. Money won't be a problem for us." Ichigo deftly removes a bag from under his cloak, opening it to show them several dozen thin golden bars. "Just need a place to convert this into coin though."

Tam's hand quickly covers Ichigo's bag. "Don't show that around unless you are looking to get it stolen, or get yourself killed over it!"

Ichigo is about to scoff when Zangetsu suddenly pipes up. " **Might be a good idea to listen to these folks Ichigo. You don't want to make too big of a mistake that would make it easier for someone to find out you don't belong.** "

Taking his Hollow's words to heart, Ichigo glances around and is relieved that no one seems to have seen or overheard his lapse of caution. "Thanks for the reminder Tam. I just need to speak to Akane for a moment then we'll head out."

Watching as Ichigo enters the tent after making sure that Akane is presentable, Kari whispers to her husband. "For a couple who just had a baby, there is a strange amount of formality between them in their actions, yet I cannot deny that the man has been very considerate towards his wife. I would be more worried about their situation, but Akane hasn't shown or mentioned being in fear of her life or for that of her child. Perhaps I will learn more from Ichigo when we buy our provisions."

Tam places a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Are you sure about being alone with him Kari?"

The red-haired woman hesitates before answering slowly. "I... do not think he is a bad person, Tam. Besides, there are far too many soldiers around for him to do anything to me without repercussion, and it shouldn't be hard to locate someone with the hair color he has." His wife changes the subject as the orange-haired young man in question exits their tent. "I'll also look for some tabac for you, you're almost out."

Smiling as he approaches the couple and thanks them for their assistance, Ichigo doesn't let on that he has heard everything they had said. It would prove useful to see if the story he and Shaiel had agreed upon before leaving the embankment would be enough to stop the al'Thor's from questioning them too deeply.

XXXX

As Ichigo and Kari al'Thor walk along the partially crowded road that leads away from the camp towards one of the bridge towns, Ichigo pretends not to notice the subtle glances being directed at him by the red-headed woman. Their conversation so far has only been about the type of supplies they would need for their journey, how much a cart and a horse would be selling for, and whether there was anything his wife needed on their journey. It was during this discussion that he remembers that he still needs to buy clothes for Akane.

"You don't know what size she wears? How long have you been married that you don't even know that Ichigo?" Kari asks him incredulously.

Giving her a look of consideration, Ichigo turns back to face the road. "Can I trust you, Kari al'Thor?" He suddenly asks the woman, much to her surprise.

"Pardon?"

"Can I trust you and your husband?" He repeats himself. Fortunately for them, the traffic has eased up and there is no one else within earshot of their conversation. "Your husband helped us settle that dispute with the Shienaran soldier and even gave up his own bed for my wife; you too have helped my wife and our baby without question or hesitation, seeking no recompense for yourself or your husband. Akane and I are truly grateful to you, but can we place our full trust in you?"

Allowing the woman time to come up with an answer, Ichigo hides his smirk at turning the tables on his would-be questioner. Everything he said was true of course; however, by questioning her first, it would be she who has to prove herself and her husband worthy of their trust, rather than himself and Akane having to prove themselves as trustworthy. He has no wish to do the other couple any harm, he truly believes they are good people, but he also has no intention of allowing them to bring Akane or Rand any harm whether intentionally or not.

Frowning, the al'Thor woman finally answers his question. "My husband and I can hold our secrets if that is what you wish to know. Before anything else however, I wish to know one thing: will your secrets bring us harm, my husband and I?"

"...No, they should not." Ichigo replies truthfully. "I cannot make any guarantee of it, but I do not believe any harm will befall you or your husband from knowing our secrets." The backstory he and Shaiel came up with contains enough truth that they can answer to it easily, yet the details are vague enough that it would be hard to track down any specific areas or events.

"Very well then." Kari nods, looking satisfied with his answer. "Since you are going through so much effort to determine whether my husband and I are trustworthy, I take it that your names are not what you claim them to be? Are you even married to each other?"

Ichigo smiles wryly at her. "My name is indeed Ichigo Kurosaki, but Akane's name has been changed to protect her, with her permission of course. You are right, however: Akane and I are not truly man and wife. In fact, I only met her two evenings ago as I was scouring the battlefield for wounded; the battle had shifted away from my location and was being fought nearer to Tar Valon, but I found her lying half dead on the ground, weakened from injury and exhaustion, and no other soul in sight. I managed to stabilize her and bring her to safety, but then ended up having to deliver her baby... In the end, I was able to save both mother and child, and I brought them back to camp once she had recovered enough to walk."

"Hold on." Kari's frown has only grown more pronounced as he relates his story, and right now she is shooting him a disbelieving look. "You helped Akane deliver her baby? What was she even doing out on the battlefield in her pregnant state?" She pauses. "Recovered enough to walk? You expected a woman who had just delivered a baby to walk?"

Ichigo holds up his hand. "Yes, I helped her deliver her baby; no, I did not expect her to walk, but she still needed the strength to stand if need be. We were on a battlefield, and even though the fighting had shifted away from us who knows what we could have encountered?"

Seeing her begrudging nod, he continues. "Besides, Akane is stronger than you think she is. She would go to incredible lengths to keep her baby safe, much as any loving mother would I believe."

"...Then what was she doing on the battlefield?" Kari's expression had mellowed at his words, and her tone is now far less accusatory. "If she was that close to delivering her baby, shouldn't she be at her home, or left back in camp?"

Ichigo sighs. "That... is something Akane shared with me in confidence, if you wish to know more you'll have to ask her yourself. Suffice to say that after learning her story, I offered her my name in protection, both for her and her newborn child. Akane was also the one who named our destination as the Two Rivers, and I have every intention of bringing both mother and child there and protecting them every step of the way."

"Why... why would you do so much for a woman you have only just met?" Kari finally asks, stopping to stare at him. The young man in question stops as well, glancing back at her. "Saving her life, delivering her baby, offering her your name and protecting her as she travels to the Two Rivers. Why would you do so much for her and her child?"

Ichigo just stares at her with a solemn expression on his face. "...My name, Ichigo, means 'one who protects'. It is a name that my mother gave to me, but she died when I was young so that I might live. I have never forgotten her sacrifice."

Seeing the shock and guilt on Kari's face, he turns back to the road and continues walking. "Akane was prepared to give up her life so that Rand might be born. Knowing the depth of her sacrifice, how could I not do my best to help her?"

Now feeling much more somber after dredging up his past memories, Ichigo walks at a much slower pace so that Kari can catch up with him. The early morning traffic has dwindled to a trickle along the road, and Kari and himself are now the only ones walking towards the bridge town that is coming up in the distance.

Hearing footsteps catch up to him, he glances to his side to see Kari al'Thor walking beside him with a pensive look on her face. The red-headed woman eventually turns to look at him.

"I'm sorry to have brought up those memories, Ichigo. And I thank you for sharing them with me."

He waves off her apology. "It's okay, I know you were just concerned for Akane's safety." He casually states. "I appreciate your concern for her actually."

Kari is hesitant to pry further, but eventually gives in to her curiosity. "Do you truly have no problem with naming her your wife? Even if she has a son who is not yours?"

The orange-haired young man smirks at her. "Family is bound by more than blood, Kari al'Thor. Son by blood he may not be, but if he is willing, then I will raise him as my son."

"That's... an interesting view." She admits, eyeing him with a new light. "You certainly are an unusual man, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I am what I am." He deflects her statement with an easy grin. Entering the small bridge town, the two of them look around to see many people browsing the shops that line the main road. "Now, do you know what size of clothing my wife is wearing, and where I can get some?"

Giving him a warm smile, Kari links her arm with his and pulls him along. "I certainly do have an idea..."

XXXX

After putting Rand down for his nap, Akane Kurosaki, formerly Shaiel, formerly Tigraine Mantear Damodred pulls her cloak on and covers her shortened hair with the hood so that no one can identify her from her features. Glancing west, she knows that the man she has fallen in love with is returning home to the Three-Fold Lands with heartbreak, if he has even survived at all.

'Janduin, I'm sorry. The Pattern has woven my life to take yet another course, a course away from yours.'

Sending up a prayer to the Creator to watch over her lover, she peeks out of the tent to see Tam al'Thor sitting on the long log outside and smoking his pipe. Exiting the tent, Akane sits a few feet away from him and closes her eyes, basking in the warmth of the early morning sunlight as it hits her face beneath her hood. Even without looking, she knows that the Andoran Blademaster is watching her, Ichigo having told her that the husband and wife couple had seen through their fake relationship and would likely press them for answers. She doesn't have to wait long before Tam speaks up.

"Interesting man… your husband." He remarks offhandedly, almost as if making a comment about the weather.

Akane smirks from underneath her hood. Having grown up in the palace, she is well-versed in Daes Dae'mar, The Great Game of Houses, even if it had meant little to her back then since she alone would inherit the Throne of Andor. It doesn't mean she has forgotten her lessons on reading between the lines, however. To hear Tam al'Thor all but openly question her relationship with Ichigo is refreshing, it almost makes her feel as if she is still among the Aiel.

"He is, even if he isn't my husband." Akane answers his unspoken question candidly, having agreed with Ichigo that the al'Thors could be trusted with the basics of their story at least.

The Andoran Blademaster taps his pipe, emptying the pipe bowl of its ashes. "Kari noticed that you and Ichigo don't act as a happy couple should after having a baby. She feels there is a strange formality between you."

Akane just smiles sadly. "Kari is a lovely woman, Tam al'Thor. She is lucky to have found you, just as I am lucky that Ichigo found me…"

For the next half hour, she tells him how Ichigo had come across her on the battlefield, then brought her to safety and helped her deliver her baby. How he had nursed her back to health, then listened to her story and offered his name to her and her son. How he had brought them back to camp and tried to purchase a horse and cart so that they could travel elsewhere, at which point they had encountered the al'Thor's.

"Ichigo may not be my husband, but I owe him my life and that of my son. He has shown me nothing but respect and concern, and has even gone out of his way to make my life more comfortable without asking for anything in return. If he truly wished me harm he would have done so already, back when I was helpless to protect myself. No, I believe Ichigo is a good man, an honorable man, and he holds my undying gratitude for rescuing me on that day."

Tam nods slowly, having drawn his sword at some point and started cleaning it. Akane had watched him warily at first, but eventually realized that the Blademaster was doing it both out of habit and as a form of meditation, similar to the way the Aiel tended to their weapons when they were resting.

Eventually, the older man looks at her with eyes that are sharp and focused. "What was a heavily pregnant woman like you doing in the middle of the battlefield?" He bluntly asks her the one question that has been plaguing his mind ever since he first saw her carrying Rand beside Ichigo.

Akane puts on a scowl, inwardly thankful that Ichigo had worked out a story with her regarding this specific question beforehand. "It... is not something I would like to repeat, but you have done much to help the three of us, so I believe that you have earned the right to know. Right now, Ichigo is the only other person who knows of my circumstances, and I would request that you keep it to yourself... and to Kari, if she wishes to know as well."

Seeing Tam al'Thor nod with full seriousness on his face, she takes a deep breath and begins telling the story they have prepared. "As you might have guessed, it is highly unusual for a pregnant woman to be on the battlefield. Completely unreasonable, in fact. Unfortunately, 'reason' is not something that can be applied to my true husband or to his family."

"Husband..?" The Andoran raises an eyebrow. "So, you are indeed married?"

"Unfortunately." Akane replies bitterly. "My husband, no, former husband was a man whose only concern lay with attaining position and power. Our marriage was a loveless one from the start, made at the behest of our families to boost both their standings, but even so I had hoped that we could learn to respect one another."

She sighs. "It was a futile hope."

"What my family didn't see... or perhaps refused to see, was that my former husband was merely using us to further his own goals. He viewed me as nothing more than a brood mare, the future bearer of his children, and kept me under constant watch so that I could not escape my gilded prison. When his family was involved with the war, I found myself being dragged to the battlefield as well, even with my pregnancy well under way."

As she falls silent, Tam speaks up carefully. "I take it you're a noblewoman, then?" He asked, his mind piecing together the clues rapidly.

Akane simply smiles, neither admitting to nor denying anything. "Ichigo found me on the evening of the second day, but I had been on the battlefield since that morning. The pikemen were the first to fall, followed by the lancers who were pulled out of their saddles. I was knocked unconscious as the Aiel battled with the heavy infantry, and when I woke up, I was battered and sore, but alive... and alone."

Even now, she cannot help but give an involuntary shiver at that. She could have been trampled underfoot or killed while she was unconscious, and it was only through sheer fortune that she had lived to wake up at all.

"I was in a daze, my injuries sore and stomach aching, with no way of knowing in which direction camp lay. I couldn't get to my feet, and ended up dragging myself along the ground, hoping to find someone who could help me. I kept crawling, and crawling..." She trailed off, her eyes distant, before continuing in a soft voice. "It was then that the contractions started. I grew even more desperate, but I still couldn't find anyone. When I ended up rolling down a steep slope in a moment of inattention, I gave up on thoughts of rescue, and tried to conserve my remaining energy to birth my baby."

Their eyes both drift to the tent where Rand is sleeping peacefully inside. "In all honesty, I didn't think I would survive. All I could do was try and give birth to him, to hope that someone would come across him while he was still alive. It was a foolish hope at best, but it was all that I had." She paused again. "In the end, filled with grief and anger, I couldn't help but question out loud if this was to be my fate. And to my surprise... he answered."

"He? You mean... Ichigo?" Tam asks, caught up in her story. His sword, now cleaned and polished, lies sheathed by his side.

"Yes, it was Ichigo. I do not know if it was through fate or a miracle, but he heard my voice while passing by and came searching for me. At that time, I was almost delirious and couldn't honestly tell you what he did, but after I passed out and woke up again, I was in a makeshift tent, bandaged and warm, with Ichigo watching attentively over me."

She smiles again. "He gave me food and drink while asking about my health. When my contractions started again, he simply took charge and helped me to stay focused, working with me to help me deliver my baby. He was the first to hold Rand, cutting his cord and wiping him clean before placing him in my arms. He scrounged up the blankets that kept us warm while we slept, kept watch for danger while I recovered my strength. He fed me again when I woke up, and when I felt strong enough, he helped me walk to the nearest camp. He listened to me while we were walking, and offered to take me as his wife so that we would be protected. He has done all this for us without asking for anything in return, and the only reason he gives me is that it is the right thing to do." Eyes watering slightly, she fixes her gaze on Tam, the older man listening attentively to her words. "He has done so much for me... how could I possibly refuse him?"

Nodding awkwardly, Tam tries to find something else to say. "What about your family?" He asks. "Don't you wish to let them know you are still alive?"

Akane shakes her head morosely. "I did not see my husband's body on the field, and I know not of his fate. It would be far too risky for me to return home, especially if it turns out that he still lives..." She scowls at that thought. "I have no wish to return to that man and his gilded cage, nor subject my son to the whims of our family politics. Better that my son and I are thought dead and forgotten, allowing us to live our days in peace."

"Therefore, the Two Rivers." Tam nods his head in understanding. "I myself could have settled down with Kari in the city, but we decided to return to the Two Rivers instead for much the same reason."

"I'm glad you understand." Akane smiles at him. "Ichigo and I plan to settle there with Rand. He may not be my husband by marriage, but I have willingly taken on his name and I'm looking forward to living with him."

Tam nods in agreement. "Very well, I'll be glad to be of any assistance. I'm sure Kari will be relieved as well that you are under no pressure to follow Ichigo, even if he is indeed as honorable as you say he is."

Akane smiles wryly at him. "We'll be travelling together from now on, so you'll have plenty of time to learn more about Ichigo."

"Speaking of that..." Tam hesitates, but decides to ask the other question that has been bothering him since he first met Ichigo. "Akane, how old is Ichigo? He has the face of a young man, not much older than yourself, but his eyes... his eyes speak of long years of hardship and experience."

Akane nearly giggles, knowing that Tam will be shocked by the answer. She clearly remembers her own disbelief when she had asked Ichigo the same question while she was breastfeeding Rand for the first time and received his answer. "Tam... Ichigo is close to his thirty-first name day."

"What!?" Tam gapes at her, before muttering almost wordlessly to himself. "Thirty one... that means... He's three years older than me…"

It is now Akane's turn to gape at him. "You are only twenty-eight?"

The older man looks somewhat affronted. "What do you mean by that? Do I look old to you?"

Akane simply chuckles while waving towards him apologetically. In truth, she had thought him to be past his thirtieth name day just like Ichigo is, since Tam al'Thor is a man who also possesses an unmistakable aura of command and experience, much like the veteran soldiers and Aiel she has encountered over the years.

Seeing that Akane isn't pushing the point, the Blademaster harrumphs, although it is clear from his expression that he isn't really upset. "Either way, it looks like Ichigo has found what he was looking for." He points towards the entrance of the camp, where Ichigo can be seen riding in on a horse next to a hide-covered wagon being driven by Kari. "Older man or not, he still looks like he could use some help. Let's go and see what else they bought, shall we?"

XXXX

Ichigo watches as Akane and Kari fill the back of the new wagon with their belongings, discussing the trip to the Two Rivers in low voices. Rand is sleeping in a blanket-padded basket on the seat beside Akane. Tam is saddling the horses, speaking to another man who is nodding at times to whatever the two men are discussing. Looking around as he helps to strike down the tent, Ichigo cannot shake the feeling that they are leaving at the right time, as several fights have already broken out among soldiers of different nationalities due to disputes over glory and money, one fight having gotten so close to Akane and Rand that he had swiftly knocked out both soldiers before staring down their fellows into submission. After that, the soldiers tended to give their tent a wide berth, especially when a furious Tam al'Thor scowled darkly at them as well.

"Tam, Ichigo, we are ready." Kari al'Thor calls from the front seat of the wagon.

Leaving behind the dismantled tent for the army to pack up, Ichigo slips a foot into the stirrup of the horse he had bought and pulls himself up into the saddle. The memory of the first horse he had ever tried to ride when he began his training months ago brings forth a different memory from Zangetsu, one of the horse throwing him five times in a single day. Inwardly rolling his eyes at his inner Hollow, he hitches the reins and takes up the lead position in front of the wagon, Tam al'Thor taking up the rear as they make their way towards the exit of the camp, with Kari driving the wagon and Akane resting inside it with Rand. No one attempts to stop them, and the only time Ichigo feels his unease spike is when they pass by a group of women whose young-looking faces defy any attempt to discern their true age.

'So those are Aes Sedai.' Ichigo muses inwardly as they finally reach the road that will take them south towards Caemlyn.

Zangetsu is not impressed. " **They didn't feel all that powerful to me King, maybe if we were to fight one when they are actually using this One Power crap we might be able to find out how strong they can get.** "

'For now, it's best we hide our hand. If we do run across an Aes Sedai who needs to be taken down we'll test our skills then, but not before hand. The most important thing right now is to find an out-of-the-way place to live in peace and train Rand for as long as we can.' Ichigo remarks silently as they ride along the road with their new travelling companions.

XXXX

After four days of recording the births that had taken place during the three days where the Grand Alliance had fought against the Aiel invaders, Moiraine stumbled across the glaring truth of Moroso Sedai's vision on the night of her death. From atop of the embankment, the two young Accepted watch as a Yellow Sister and a Green Sister perform various weaves to determine the origin of the shelter constructed from lances, various horse blankets, coats, and other discarded material found on the battlefield. It appears to have been abandoned recently, no living beings are anywhere nearby from what they can find. Thankfully, a ward has been set up to keep the flies, crows, vultures and the stench of death away from the party of women, along with their grim-looking escort of Warders and Tower Guards.

"How did anyone not see this here before?" Siuan's whispered question is only loud enough for her friend standing next to her to hear.

"Partly it's due to the fact that no one bothered to search this far, I'll guess." Moiraine shrugs, before leaning back to her Tairen friend and whispering. "Also, when I first came across this tent, there… was a strangeness lingering in the air. Something I've never felt before."

"Do you think… it was 'that'?"

Shivering at the thought, the Cairhienien Accepted pushes away the idea of the Dark One touching the world from her mind. "No, it's not 'that'. What I felt was far different, almost as if I could touch and feel it in my hand. It felt warm, Siuan, almost as if I was standing under the clear blue sky and holding warm sunlight in my hands."

"It still does feel that way." Moiraine and Siuan both jump when Jennine Sedai steps near them, her Yellow Ajah companion still forming weaves around the camp site and inspecting the resulting patterns.

Both Accepted curtsy to the Green Ajah. "Forgive me for not saying anything earlier Aes Sedai, but I wasn't sure if what I felt was real."

"It's real alright." The Kandori Aes Sedai gives Moiraine a small smile. "Though if I hadn't felt it for myself, I might have doubted your words. However, the fact now remains that a child was born here, but who gave birth and what happened afterwards is a mystery. My Warders weren't able to find any tracks leading away from here either, only tracks leading to the site."

"How is that possible?" Siuan questions with a look of confusion on her face.

The Green Ajah sighs. "It's not. At least not by any means we are aware of. Unfortunately, this means that there is a child out there whose record of birth was missed by us. I don't understand Mother's orders concerning this need for records, but as it is no longer a viable lead, you two should return to the camps, we have only a few more days to go before this place is overrun by scavengers and grave diggers."

XXXX

The first few days of travel were relatively quiet for the two couples, traveling in a loose caravan of wagons, horses, and other people leaving the blood-soaked fields of Tar Valon behind them. The Andoran Lords and their men-at-arms were always given the middle of the road, several times roughly pushing civilians out of their way much to Ichigo's disgust. Even Tigraine pursed her lips in anger at seeing the treatment of the common people who were simply trying to make their way back to their lands or Nations of origin.

" **Ass-hats.** " Zangetsu says as he observes their behavior.

'Yeah, some things never change regardless of where you go.' Ichigo replies as he sends a few glares towards the rough behaving men, wishing he can teach them a lesson. Fortunately, the men-at-arms do not go any further than that, and Ichigo is able to put them out of his mind.

When the roads start to become less crowded, with many people having split off to take separate roads, Ichigo pulls out a bow from the wagon on one of their rest stops, catching the attention of Tam al'Thor.

"A bow? I didn't know you had one Ichigo." The Two Rivers man remarks as he watches Ichigo inspect the shaft of an arrow with a critical eye.

"I bought it before we left Tar Valon, though I admit that my skills are nowhere near as good as they should be." Ichigo shrugs. "I felt like I should continue practicing with it even if we don't need it where we're headed."

Tam eyes the bow for a moment before smirking at him. "It looks like a good bow, but when we arrive in Emond's Field I'll show you a real bow. I had to stop using the ones supplied to me by Illian because I kept breaking them with my draw strength."

Curious and not just a little intrigued, Ichigo asks what Tam's role was during the Aiel war.

"I was a Second Captain of the Companions. We were considered the elite of Illian's Armies and served as the King's personal bodyguard." The other man replies with mixed pride and sadness. "Many of us fell in battle, but we gave as good as we got."

Akane and Kari both watch from their seat nearby as Tam al'Thor takes the bow, quickly stringing it and then giving it a few test pulls. Taking an arrow from the quiver Ichigo offers, he studies it intently and, evidently finding it acceptable, notches, draws back and releases the arrow all in one fluid motion. Even Akane, trained by the Aiel who are skilled in archery, is impressed by the marksmanship and skill Tam shows as the broad point of his arrow strikes dead-center on a small knot of wood halfway up the trunk of a tree nearly thirty paces away, its width across no larger than a man's eye.

" **Wonder what Yuzu or four-eyes would say about that.** " Zangetsu comments. Ichigo fights down the urge for his eyebrow to twitch.

'Stuff it.' Ichigo accepts his bow back from a slightly smirking Tam al'Thor and draws an arrow from the quiver himself.

Lifting the bow and notching the arrow, Ichigo pulls back on the bow, mentally following the series of steps taught to him by Ryūken about breathing and posture, then releases his arrow; he is pleasantly surprised when his arrow strikes the tree trunk only a few inches to the left of Tam's arrow. The other man lets out a low whistle of appreciation.

"Not bad Ichigo, you could do well at Bel Tine with shooting like that. You might not win in the first few years, but you'll be seen as a dangerous competitor to face off with if you keep improving yourself."

"Thanks." Ichigo almost feels good about his skill until he sees Akane giving him a hidden grin. Knowing her background, he suddenly feels the urge for some mischief. "How about you Akane, care to give it a go?"

Surprised, the former Spear Maiden is ready to refuse at first but pauses at the look on her companion's face. Slowly, her own smirk starts to form. "I'll give it a try Ichigo, if neither of you mind?"

To his credit, Tam only quirks an eyebrow at her. "Have you recovered enough to be shooting at trees already, Akane Kurosaki?"

Slightly abashed that she hadn't considered her health first, Akane thinks about it before giving them a firm nod. "I have been resting all this while, and I believe I've built up enough strength for a simple demonstration of skill. I thank you for your concern, Tam al'Thor."

Knowing that her mind is made up, Tam shakes his head wryly and steps aside while Ichigo holds his bow out to her. Passing Rand over to the watchful Kari al'Thor, Akane takes the bow from Ichigo's hands and draws an arrow from the quiver. Inspecting it just as Tam had done, the golden-haired woman notices a slight bend in the shaft, but figures it is more than suitable for her needs. Glancing at Ichigo, Akane gives a quick laugh before effortlessly pulling back on the bowstring and firing the arrow from her seated position.

Ichigo gapes. 'Oh no, she didn't…'

" **Oh yes, she did.** "

"That… was well done Akane." Tam's strangled voice manages to say as the two men stare at the splinters of feather and wood, which is all that remains of Tam's arrow after Akane's arrow splits it cleanly in two.

"I learned how to shoot from an old veteran who was once in command of two hundred archers, and he only retired when he could no longer hold a bow in his own hands." She speaks with an almost wistful tone in her voice, before proceeding to split Ichigo's arrow in two with her second arrow. "I kept it a secret from my former husband, since it would do him no good if he found out."

Smiling at the two gaping men, Akane hands Ichigo's bow back to him and pats him on the arm encouragingly. "Practice makes perfect Ichigo."

Seeing the utterly dumbfounded face that he is making, both Kari and Tam burst out into loud laughter while Ichigo simply shakes his head in sheer disbelief. "You really are an amazing woman, Akane Kurosaki." He finally tells her with a fond smile on his face.

XXXX

That evening after Rand has settled down to sleep, Akane pokes her head out of the wagon and looks around for Ichigo. She spots him coming out from the nearby forest with a large stack of firewood in his arms, and goes over to help him with his burden.

"Thanks, Akane, I almost tripped a few times back there." Ichigo smiles at her as she takes away the branches that are obstructing his view.

Walking silently next to Ichigo as they return to camp, the former Spear Maiden casts a surreptitious glance in his direction every now and then. Ichigo doesn't seem to notice it, but when they draw closer to the wagon he suddenly speaks up.

"Why don't we let Tam sleep in the wagon tonight, Akane? I'm sure his wife misses him." It is only the amused smirk on his face that lets her realize there is a hidden meaning to his statement.

"What?" In her initial confusion, she is about to turn to him and ask what he is going on about when her mind finishes processing his words. She ends up having to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I... I never thought of that." She admits, giggling to herself almost childishly.

Ichigo places his firewood beside their unlit campfire with a chukle. "I did, I could see the looks Kari has been giving her husband these last few days, so I think we can survive a night under the stars. The nights aren't so bad the further south we go."

Smiling at him, Akane places her firewood on top of his. "I'll mention it to Kari when I see her, you go inform Tam."

After getting the married couple to agree to their new sleeping arrangements for the night, Ichigo erects a small tent to one side for himself, Akane and Rand to sleep in. Taking several heated stones from the campfire, he places them inside a brazier which he hangs up from the roof of their tent before spreading out their blankets on the ground so the three of them can settle down for the night. Ichigo had set up a discreet Kido barrier around the al'Thor wagon to protect their privacy, so the only sounds they can hear are the faint sounds of nightlife emanating from the nearby forest.

Despite how tired she is feeling, Akane looks towards Rand first, confirming that he is sleeping peacefully in his padded basket, before looking towards Ichigo. Seeing him staring blankly at the ceiling of their tent, she decides to find out more about her orange-haired savior. "Tell me about your world Ichigo." She quietly asks. "I'd like to know as much as can about the man I'll be spending the foreseeable future with."

The orange-haired man glances over at her with a surprised look, but within seconds a faint smile crosses his face and he begins to speak in a hushed voice. "Where do I even begin? My story begins over a hundred years ago, but it would be useless to start there unless you already know about my family and how we fit into the grand scheme of things. I know you'll have some difficulty understanding the strange things I tell you, but I'll explain them to you all in due time." Pausing, Ichigo organizes his thoughts, then begins his story anew. "My name as you know is Ichigo Kurosaki Shiba, and I was born as a Human-Shinigami-Quincy hybrid. My parents were two spiritually powerful beings: my Dad, Isshin Shiba, is a Shinigami, a Death God, while my Mom, Masaki Kurosaki, was a Quincy and a human…"

As Ichigo quietly relates his story, Akane listens to him intently, paying attention to Ichigo as he describes his life from his earliest memories of childhood to the moment his innocence ended for him. She finds out why Ichigo always addresses his Mother in the past tense, learning that Masaki Kurosaki had been killed while protecting him from a Hollow, her powers stolen by a self-proclaimed Quincy Emperor who desired to restart an ancient war between the Quincies and Soul Society. She listens to Ichigo as he speaks of how he had spent days wandering by the river bank in a daze, looking for his Mother, only to stop after a few weeks when he finally realized his actions were only hurting his younger sisters.

After taking a moment to regain his composure, Ichigo begins to tell her of how he had hardened after his mother's passing, subconsciously blaming himself for her death and taking on the role of protector as part of his penance. He tells her how he had begun to fight and defeat the bullies in his town who had previously picked on him because of his unusual hair, determined to never be weak again. A small smile crosses his face as he describes the man he is proud to call one of his best-friends: Yasutora Sado, also nicknamed 'Chad', a gentle giant of a man with a fierce and protective streak towards his friends. He describes how they initially met when he came across several thugs beating up Chad and stealing the medallion his deceased Grandfather had given to him; how he had gone alone after the thugs and their allies in order to help Chad get back his medallion; and how Chad, who had sworn never to use his fists in anger, had joined in midway through the battle to protect Ichigo's back. Listening to Ichigo describe the formation of the bond between the two young men, a bond that continued to strengthen over the years as they fought countless battles to protect the things which were precious to them, Akane slowly begins to understand why Ichigo's Mother had given him the name of 'he who protects'. Ichigo also mentions two other friends: Ishida Uryū and Inoue Orihime, both of whom attended his place of learning and whom he claimed would play huge roles in future events, but before any of that happened he tells her of the event that would shape his future for years to come.

"I was fifteen when my life changed forever again…" Ichigo's voice soft and wistfully fond as he speaks of that past event, his eyes glazed over as if he was looking into a distant memory. "That night, I met the woman who would give me the power to truly protect everyone I cared about. Her name was…"

Kuchiki Rukia. Only one word comes to Akane's mind. Amazing. It is the only word she can think of when she hears of how over the course of two short months, Ichigo and Rukia would somehow form bonds that would forever link them and link them to almost everyone Ichigo knew or would later meet in his life. It is clear from the tone of his voice that Ichigo holds Rukia in very high regard, even if his expression often conveys amusement and exasperation when recounting her various antics when living with him. He finally ends his story for the night by telling her of how Rukia's older brother, Byakuya, and her former best friend Renji had come to take her back to Soul Society by force, clashing with him when he tried to stop them and leaving him bleeding to death in the middle of the street, the heavy rain battering his torn body while the last words she spoke to him continue to repeat themselves in his mind.

"I don't know why her words pissed me off that much, but I swore I would get my answers after I saved her ungrateful ass." Ichigo's lips then curl up in a smirk. "Of course, I did get my answers when I stormed Soul Society for her, but I also received an hour-long lecture on why I should never have come to save her and two very bruised shins for my effort. It was worth it."

Stunned by the extent Ichigo would go to for someone he considered a friend, Akane sees the light of determination shining in his eyes, making her all the more convinced that she has made the correct decision to follow him. "The next town we come across, why don't we spend the night? That way we can speak at length in the privacy of a room." She finally suggests, yawning involuntarily at the lateness of the hour.

Ichigo mulls it over in his head, then smiles and nods his head in agreement. "I'd like that, Akane. Maybe we'll even get to see an actual gleeman."

XXXX

Over several days, Ichigo, Tam and Kari begin to notice a subtle shift in Akane's demeanor as they get closer to Caemlyn. It finally comes to a head one night when they stop to make camp in a small clearing with a clear view of the fifty-foot tall walls surrounding the city. Akane was unusually quiet all day, so when Ichigo sees her drifting towards the city all on her own, he hesitates on whether or not he should follow.

"Go after her, Ichigo."

Startled, he glances back and sees Kari al'Thor watching him from the doorway of his and Akane's tent, cradling the sleeping Rand Kurosaki to her chest. She motions again with her head for him to follow after the golden-haired woman. With a thankful smile and nod to Tam's wife, Ichigo takes off after Akane, ghosting behind her from tree to tree as he watches her wander in the vague direction of Caemlyn. Finally, it seems that she can make herself go no further, collapsing to her knees on top of a low hill rise and staring in the direction of the walled city.

Ichigo's enhanced hearing picks up soft sobbing sounds coming from her.

'Oh boy, what's going on?' He wonders as he drops silently from the branch he has been watching Akane from. Making sure his footsteps can be heard by Akane, Ichigo slowly approaches her and takes a seat beside her, choosing to say nothing until she speaks to him. It doesn't take long before he feels Akane's head rest against his shoulder; glancing to his side, he sees her gazing at the gleaming walls of Caemlyn with watery eyes and a melancholic expression.

"... I abandoned him, you know." She begins in a conversational tone. Knowing it is a rhetorical question, Ichigo remains silent.

"He was just an infant when I left him, less than two name-days of age. He was the only good thing to come from my marriage to... my marriage with my previous husband. The greatest treasure I had in the world."

Fresh tears are rolling down Akane's cheeks, and Ichigo keeps his gaze tactfully focused on the walled city in the distance.

"Then... then that Foretelling. Moroso Aes Sedai Foretold that disaster would befall my people, my kingdom... the entire world, if I did not immediately leave for the Aiel Wastes without informing a soul. I was to become a Spear Maiden, and I would not be returning to my land until the Aiel come before the walls of Tar Valon."

Except, Ichigo knows, it was to wage war on her people that the Aiel had crossed the Waste, and three bitter years of war and bloodshed had followed, staining the fields of Tar Valon.

"I loved him so much, I would have done anything, given up anything to be with him... but how could I possibly weigh the lives of all my people against his happiness? How could I make him understand that I had to leave him because I had to save the entire world?"

Ichigo is struck dumb by the similarity of their situations. Forced into a role they had never wanted and the future of an entire world placed upon their shoulders, they made the decision to shoulder the burden and endure the sacrifices that it would cost. In many ways he was more fortunate than Akane, for most of his friends and family had ended up fighting by his side. Akane was forced to shoulder her burden alone, giving up everything that she knew and loved in order to protect a nebulous future.

Considering the pain he had felt when he chose to leave everyone behind, what kind of agony had she suffered when she wasn't even given the chance to say goodbye?

"... And now, here I am, five years later. Still alive, and less than a day's journey from him if I so wished. Yet I dare not go... I dare not show my face to him, dare not see his expression when he lays his eyes on the mother he must've thought dead, or abandoned him somehow. My heart yearns to see him, yet the reality of my situation holds me back. He's now four times the age he was when I last saw him, Ichigo! I've been absent for almost the entirety of my baby's life! How would he even know me, how would he even know who I am!?"

Catching Akane as she throws herself into his arms with a wail, Ichigo sheds his own tears of empathy at her pain. It had hurt like nothing else had when Tsukishima rewrote the memories of his family and friends and turned them against him, the accusation and betrayal in their eyes like daggers stabbing right into his heart. He had cried back then, the first time he had ever broken down since the death of his mother. Although Tsukishima and Ginjō had later sided with him against the Quincy invasion of Soul Society, he had never truly forgiven them for what they had done to him and his loved ones.

Gently cradling the golden-haired woman crying her heart out into his chest, he silently vows that he will not let this strong yet fragile woman undergo the same kind of suffering that he once had to go through.

Eventually, Akane's weeping subsides. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she slowly pushes herself off his chest. "I cry for the loss of one person, yet you have yet to shed a tear for the world you were forced to leave behind." She finally murmurs. "You're so much stronger than I am, Ichigo... I'm sorry for showing you this weak side of myself, but as we draw nearer and nearer to Caemlyn, my loss weighs heavier and heavier upon me."

"... I'm not as strong as you think I am, Akane." Ichigo replies to her statement morosely. Ignoring her questioning look, he decides to change the subject. "Tell me, what is your firstborn son's name? Do you still remember what he looks like?"

Knowing that Ichigo's past is an equally sensitive subject for him, Akane chooses not to pry. "His name is Galadedrid Damodred, firstborn Son of Andor. I used to call him Galad for short. He was a quiet baby boy, seldom cried or made noise, always watched everything going on around him with those wide serious eyes of his..." Her voice drifts off into fond remembrance. "He has dark hair and eyes, a small nose, a well-formed brow. Little lips that give him the most beautiful smile. His coloring takes after his father, but I'm told that his facial structure takes after mine ... It's hard to tell when they're young, but when he grows up I know he'll be one handsome boy."

As Akane describes the son she was forced to leave behind, a strange thought comes to Ichigo's mind and he starts to consider the possibilities.

" **You sure about this King? It could easily screw up everything we're doing, ya know?** "

'I know, so if we do this we'll have to be really careful not to mess things up. Akane was originally supposed to die on the slopes of Dragonmount, never to see either of her sons again... We've saved her and her future with Rand, so let's go all the way and save her future with Galad as well.'

" **... I hear ya.** "

Focusing back on his conversation with Akane, he asks her something which will either make his job much easier or much harder. "Is there anything you have that Galad would recognize? I mean, he was less than two years of age when you... were forced to leave him, am I right? Would he recognize anything that belongs to you?"

Akane notes the brief pause in Ichigo's speech, and inwardly smiles at his attempt at tact. Putting her sharp mind to task on his question, she wonders herself whether her baby boy would recognize any of her current possessions. Going over the few belongings that she has kept with her since the start of her exile, she realizes that it only boils down to two things of significance: her Great Serpent ring that she keeps hanging on a cord around her neck, and her personal dagger that has seen her through her entire journey until now. Reluctantly, she pulls out both of them, wondering if Galad would recognize either of them as belonging to her.

"That ring... it's an Aes Sedai ring, isn't it?" Ichigo asks as he curiously examines the intricately carved ring.

Akane nods to herself, briefly struck by memories of her childhood. "Yes, it is. All Daughter-Heirs of Andor are required to undergo training at the White Tower as part of our tradition, both to reaffirm our pact with the White Tower as well as to confirm our inherited ability to Channel."

"Inherited ability?" Ichigo looks intrigued by this. "Does that mean that you can also Channel?"

Akane glances at him. "Yes, I can, though I'm not very good at it. The Daughter-Heirs of Andor are awarded the Great Serpent ring for symbolic reasons rather than to indicate our progress as an Aes Sedai; I myself only reached the level of an Accepted before I was called back to the throne." Her expression grows pensive. "I'm not sure whether the Aiel knew I could channel or not. Their Wise Ones certainly gave me odd looks at times, but they never did say a word..."

"Perhaps they chose to respect your decision to become a Spear Maiden?" Ichigo offers.

"... Yes, perhaps." She finally answers, seeing the elders of the Aiel tribes in a new light.

Seeing Akane fall into an introspective silence, Ichigo chooses to examine the other item she has brought out. The dagger is of simple design, plainly made and functional, with the only concession to decoration being the ivory-inlaid steel pommel depicting a slender hand grasping the stem of a thorny white rose.

"My mother had it commissioned for me once I came up with my personal sigil." Akane explains to Ichigo once she notices the focus of his attention. "'A dagger to guard against betrayal', she called it. It was meant to remind me of Daes Dae'mar, the Great Game of Houses, though it has served me well in all matters since then." She pauses with a slight frown. "I wonder if Mother had already intended for me to wed Lord Damodred back then... looking back on it now, it all seems rather symbolic and suspicious."

Shaking off his momentary frown at the reminder that Akane's mother had forced her to marry for politics, Ichigo chastises himself, remembering that even in his old world, arranged marriages were very common amongst the nobility. "Would Galad be able to recognize that dagger of yours?" He asks her instead.

"My dagger?" Akane looks at the weapon thoughtfully, then shakes her head. "I don't think so... Galad was still an infant when I left him, and even then, I had no reason to show him my dagger."

Momentarily stumped, Ichigo tries a different approach. "Then, is there any way to confirm a connection between you and your dagger?"

Akane considers that question for a moment. "In my personal study, there is a portrait of myself hanging on the wall that my Mother had commissioned on my eighteenth name-day. I think I had the dagger strapped to my hip in that portrait... Yes, I do believe I did, and I had the pommel facing outwards to display my personal sigil as well." She suddenly stops and stares suspiciously at Ichigo. "Why are you asking all this, Ichigo? What are you planning?"

Inwardly jubilant now that his plan is starting to look feasible, Ichigo gives Akane a smug grin. "What am I planning? I'm hoping to sneakily reunite a mother with her long-lost son, that's what."

"Reunite..? You can't mean..." Akane looks horrified. "Ichigo, you can't! If they find out I'm still alive then all my sacrifice will be for nothing!"

"Relax, I said sneakily, didn't I?" He reassures her. "I'll make sure that only Galad knows, and if your boy is anything like you believe him to be, then I'm sure he'll keep his mother's continued existence a secret as well."

Akane just frowns at him. "And how are you going to do that Ichigo? Can you fly perhaps? Turn invisible? Walk through walls?" She gestures in the direction of the walled city. "You'll need to get past those walls and their guards, sneak into the palace, find Galad, convince him that everything you say is true, then escape from there... all without letting anyone else catch a glimpse of you. How is that even possible?"

Smiling, Ichigo simply gets to his feet and stretches himself. Seeing Akane's frown deepen, he poses a question to her. "Akane, do you remember me telling you that I'm a Shinigami here on orders from the Soul King?"

The golden-haired woman slowly nods at him. Although she finds his story to be nearly unbelievable, what she has seen of Ichigo so far proves to her that he is no ordinary person.

"Well, it's time for you to see what else a Shinigami can do."

Akane's jaw drops when a second Ichigo seems to pull himself out from the back of the first Ichigo without any warning whatsoever. Looking wildly between the two Ichigos, she watches as the first Ichigo is laid down on the grass by the second Ichigo, looking as if he were asleep, then the second Ichigo looks at her with a smug expression on his face.

"W-What?" She stammers, her mind whirling and failing to make some sense of what she is seeing. "How?"

The second Ichigo actually has the gall to look relieved. "Good, I was hoping that you can see me, what with being able to channel and all. To put it simply, this is my Soul Form, my Spirit Body. That over there is my mortal shell. As a Shinigami, I am able to separate myself from my mortal shell whenever I want to."

Akane just stares at him with wide eyes. "B-But why? Why would you want to separate from your body?" She asks, unable to hide the distress in her voice. "Are you... already dead?"

Ichigo gives a brief hum as he ponders on how to word his answer. "I'm not truly dead, not in the way you are thinking." He finally reassures Akane. "Unlike most Shinigami who are only trained after they die, I was born with the potential to become a living Shinigami thanks to my father. While I do have all their skills and the ability to separate from my body, I'm still alive in every way that counts."

Akane looks less distressed now, but she keeps shooting his 'dead' body uncomfortable looks. "So, why did you separate yourself from your body?" She finally asks him. "Is this related to how you're going to sneak into the palace and find Galad?"

Ichigo grins at her question. "Glad you asked... now watch." Crouching, he shoots up nearly thirty feet into the air before landing on an invisible platform of Reishi that he forms beneath his feet. Looking down, he sees Akane still sitting on the grass with a dumbfounded expression on her face, and he waves towards her with a smirk on his face.

"See Akane? I can fly!"

He counts to ten before Akane finally works up a response, and he nearly rolls his eyes when her first words to him are a shout for him to get down.

Dropping from his platform, he lands lightly next to the still startled woman and can't help but smirk as he points at his soul-less body. "The only person anyone would think is strange would be you... since to their eyes, you are talking to nothing but air…"

Eyes widening, Akane looks between him and his body, then folds her arms beneath her chest with a growl. "Ass." She grouches, glaring at him half-heartedly. "Get back into your body before someone does come along and sees me acting like I'm crazy, Ichigo."

"As you command, milady." Ichigo chuckles as he lifts his body and eases himself back into it. After moving his body's arms and legs around, feeling as if he were adjusting himself to wearing tight clothing, he sits back down beside Akane and waits for her to speak.

Instead of speaking, however, the golden-haired woman looks at him, then turns to stare at Caemlyn in the distance with a thoughtful look on her face.

"How long will it take you to get there and back?" Akane finally asks him, not looking away from her former home.

Ichigo considers the distance between their camp and the walled city. "About an hour or two; I'll spend more time looking for Galad's room than using Shunpō to get there and back. If you have any idea of where his room is, that'd be a huge help."

"The ruling family have always lived in the same quarters since the Palace was first built by the Ogier during Andor's founding. It should be fairly easy to find him if my husband is still alive and living in the royal quarters." The golden-haired woman informs him.

At the mention of her husband, Ichigo grows more solemn. "Do you want me…"

"No!" Akane cuts him off almost instantly. With a soft sigh, she turns around and shakes her head at him. "I don't want to know Ichigo. I never loved him, and I told you before it was a political marriage only. If he did marry a new Queen, I... I'd rather not know."

"Understandable. So, any idea of how we can get a message to your son?" Ichigo says as he changes the topic, staring at the looming walls of Caemlyn and trying to estimate their height.

"A letter? Maybe something to tell him that I still love him, and that I want him to have my ring and dagger…"

Sitting in silence as they consider what to do, the two of them watch the evening fade into twilight, before a snapping twig behind them alerts them to Tam's presence. "Ah, there you are. It's getting dark, so Kari asked me to go look for you two."

Nodding towards the older man, Ichigo stands up first then offers his hands towards his companion. She places her hands in his and allows him to pull her up to her feet, then moves in closer to him and looks up earnestly into the eyes of her savior.

"Thank you, Ichigo." She whispers gratefully.

"It's why I'm here, for you and for Rand." Smiling, he offers her the crook of his arm. "We can decide what to do later tonight, after we get back to camp."

XXXX

Two hours later, Akane watches as Ichigo leaves his body once again, Rand stirring slightly in her arms but settling back into sleep as Ichigo's soul body smooths down his hair. Whispering, he waves his hands towards the wagon where the al'Thor's are currently sleeping.

"A Kidō that grants them peaceful sleep, so they won't wake up unless there is a big commotion going on." Ichigo remarks when he sees her glancing curiously at the al'Thor wagon. "I could make them sleep more deeply, but I feel it's better to be safe than sorry."

Just as he is about to leave their tent, her hand catches his arm. "Please be careful Ichigo. If I can see you, any Aes Sedai can likely see you as well."

"Right. I'll keep that in mind. Be back in about an hour or so." Pushing the flap of the tent open, he moves outside, takes a deep breath, then jumps into the air, shooting high into the sky before solidifying the Reishi under his feet and looking towards Caemlyn. Glancing back at the tent where Akane's golden hair glints in the firelight, he gives the watching woman a short nod and wave before disappearing from her sight in a burst of Shunpo.

Less than five minutes later, he has crossed the walls of Caemlyn and is now standing above the Palace, looking for the tower that Akane had described as containing the rooms housing the Royal family of Andor. Finally spotting a tower that matches Akane's description, he hops down until he is even with the first floor, extending his senses while trying to sense the room that the Royal family's Aes Sedai is most likely sleeping in. Quickly locating her, or at least the person he suspects to be her based on her strong spiritual-like signature, Ichigo carefully phases through a wall on the opposite side of the tower and finds himself in a brightly lit hallway. Looking right, then left, he picks the room nearest to him and sticks his head cautiously through the door, seeing that the room is unoccupied. Pulling his head back, he moves down the immaculately decorated corridor, glancing over rich tapestries depicting the history of Andor and taking note of the wealth being put on display in recessed alcoves.

Coming across a room in which he can feel the presence of two living beings, Ichigo carefully phases through the door and looks around. Seeing that he is alone in an outer-room, he makes his way towards the inner door and places his ear against it. Hearing a woman's voice, Ichigo wants to know what she is saying so he sticks his head through the door, but finds himself wanting to jerk his head back out when he realizes what is going on inside.

"Taringail…Taringail." The woman's husky voice rings clearly in Ichigo's ears, and her next words shock him to the core. "What…what if her Majesty finds out?" Her breathing picks up in pace as the man above her begins to move his hips faster.

"Worry not about Morgase, she is with our newborn and Galad upstairs." The man replies smoothly. "We have plenty of time before I am required to return to her."

Hurriedly pulling his head back out, Ichigo strides out of the room with his fists clenched tightly.

'Fucking bastard, that wasn't…'

"… **the Queen.** " Zangetsu growls in agreement.

'When Tigraine said it was a loveless marriage, she wasn't kidding. Maybe it's a good thing she isn't here to witness what a real bastard he is. Fuck, he is screwing someone else while his new Queen tends to his kids.' Shaking his head to get rid of the image of the man he now knows to be Taringail Damodred, Ichigo looks down the deserted hallway then up at the ceiling.

'Well, at least we know to look upstairs now.' Ichigo simply jumps through the stone ceiling, letting his body phase through it before landing in yet another well-lit hallway.

Scanning around, he senses several beings in the room to his right. Still irritated by his encounter with Akane's former husband, he strides over to the wooden door and simply phases right through, only to stop short at what he sees inside. Inside the room, a woman with reddish-golden curls is breastfeeding a young baby who is in her arms. Sleeping on the bed beside the woman is a dark-haired young boy of about seven or eight years of age, while sitting in a chair next to the bed is a much older woman who is knitting while humming quietly. The reason for his surprise is that the red-haired woman looked up the moment he entered and immediately began to draw on Saidar.

"Who's there!? I know someone is there!" The woman, presumably Queen Morgase uses her free hand to pull the younger boy closer to her side, holding her baby tightly to her bosom while the older nanny scrambles to her feet and starts looking wildly around. "Linni, call for the Guard!"

'Shit, what the fuck!?' Ichigo notices that Morgase is squinting at him, almost as if she is having difficulty seeing him, and the amount of Saidar she is drawing is barely a trickle to his senses. Making a hasty decision, he immediately Shunpōs out of the room and down the hallway, phasing into the first empty room he comes across. Hearing the cries of alarm from the nanny, he suppresses his Reiatsu as much as he can and pushes his senses out to their maximum, keep track of the sudden activity going on in the tower.

"To arms! To arms! There is an intruder!"

Hearing the sound of armored feet running through the corridor and the sounds of doors being slammed open and rooms searched, Ichigo curses and is about to phase out through the window when he suddenly notices the furnishings of the room around him. Slowly scanning the dimensions of the bed and desk, he hurries over to the closet and pulls open the door, finding that the fancy clothes inside are more than likely sized for the young boy who was with the Queen. Hearing a loud voice issuing orders for every room to be searched carefully, Ichigo looks in the closet once more and hastily pulls out Tigraine's letter, lifting up the lid of a box of toy soldiers and sliding the letter underneath the metal figures. After a moment of hesitation, he also places Tigraine's ring and dagger within, then closes the lid and makes his way towards the window. Glancing back as he senses the powerful presence of Saidar moving upwards towards the Queen's quarters, he grimaces at not having enough time to properly ensure if this is Galad's room or not. As a last-ditch effort however, he casts a minor Kidō barrier that will cause adults to overlook the box of soldiers, hoping that this will allow Galad to be the one to discover the letter and items. Finally, still worried about how the Queen had sensed him, he phases through the window and leaps into the air, while below him he can hear numerous voices shouting to one another as they continue to search for the intruder.

'Dammit. How did she know I was there?' Ichigo laments as he watches guardsmen wielding torches exploring the shadow filled areas outside of the Palace.

Zangetsu tsks in annoyance. " **Didn't Akane say that as a young woman she went to train in the Tower? Maybe the new Queen did too.** "

Face-palming, Ichigo mutters half to himself. 'I should've remembered that. I didn't think Taringail's new Queen was Aes Sedai trained as well. Well, what's done is done. We can only hope now.'

He watches an irate-looking Taringail stomping up the stairs towards Morgase's chambers, obviously displeased by this interruption to his womanizing. Briefly considering the option of giving Taringail a little 'accident' by pushing him down the stairs, Ichigo finally dismisses the idea with some reluctance.

" **If anyone does find that letter, they'll never know it was only written today instead of the years-ago as it implies.** " Zangetsu comments helpfully, although Ichigo can tell his Hollow is disappointed at the lack of Regicide. " **I hope it's Galad that finds it, otherwise we'll have a big mess on our hands.** "

'Still…' Ichigo looks down at the situation before deciding that there's nothing more that he can do. 'I just hope the boy finds it and understands that his Mother always has, and always will love him. Until they can meet again.'

XXXX

Akane was disappointed that Ichigo couldn't confirm her letter would end up in Galad's hands, but she was equally surprised that Taringail had married a new Queen who appeared to be Aes Sedai trained as well.

"Morgase... I recall a distant cousin by that name." Akane searches through her memory for any information on the woman. "To think that Taringail was cunning enough to secure his claim to the throne through her, weak though her own claim is. I only hope her marriage is less unpleasant than mine was."

Seeing the expression on Ichigo's face, Akane just sighs in commiseration for her sister-wife.

Tam and Kari wake up the next morning after having the most restful sleep of their lives. As the group of four travelers turn West to begin the next leg of their journey towards the Two Rivers, Akane returns to her normal self, having accepted that her old home is in the past, and she can only look forward to a new home in the future. Sitting next to Kari as the other woman guides the wagon along, the golden-haired woman cannot help but glance at Ichigo as he rides alongside Tam just a few paces ahead of them. Thinking back over the weeks they had spent together, she realizes how much he has helped her by having their talks at night in their tent, giving her someone she can relate to after being forced to leave her life behind, since he too had left his world to come and save hers through her and her son.

An involuntary shiver goes down her spine when she remembers him admitting that it had been a fifty-fifty chance whether or not he would arrive in time to save her, but he still made the decision to try anyway and he was damn glad that he did. She didn't understand how much her survival meant to him until Ichigo told her the story of how his Mother had died saving him. She didn't realize she had shed tears until Ichigo wiped them away and told her that it was in the past and everyone responsible for his Mother's death had been dealt with. Still, her heart had gone out to him that night, and when he rolled onto his back and went to sleep she had spent the rest of the night contemplating about her past and comparing the parallels in their lives.

"Akane." Kari's urgent voice breaks the former Daughter-Heir out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry Kari, what is it?"

Instead of answering, the other woman points forward. Akane's breath hitches when she realizes that several men on horseback are blocking the road nearly three dozen paces ahead of their wagon, while numerous other men begin leaving their hiding places from the thick woods that line either side of the road and start to surround them. Automatically glancing back into the wagon to ensure that Rand is safe, the former Spear Maiden then casts a critical eye over the men, knowing them to be brigands by their dirty exposed skin, worn out clothing and overall nasty demeanor. Sliding out of her seat and ignoring the startled expression of the woman next to her, Akane slips back inside the wagon, allowing her Aiel and Royal training to take over as she picks up Ichigo's bow that he keeps in the wagon behind her seat. Quickly stringing the bow and taking up a crouching position beside Rand's baby basket while watching Tam and Ichigo ride up to the man-made roadblock, Akane feels the loss of her dagger most keenly, but knows that she can wield something far deadlier in defense of her baby.

For the first time in years, Akane opens herself up to Saidar, allowing warmth and life to surge through her like the blooming of a flower.

Up ahead, Ichigo turns in his saddle and glances back at her. His expression is grim, and she understands his message clearly.

If things go south, none of the bandits are allowed to get close to her, Kari or Rand.

"Understood, Ichigo." She whispers.

"Akane, what is going on?" Kari al'Thor's quivering voice betrays her evident worry.

"We are facing brigands. Kari, get inside the wagon and make sure the back is locked, then find something to defend yourself with if it comes to that." Seeing Kari give her a startled nod and scramble inside the wagon, the golden-haired woman notches an arrow to her bow but keeps it half drawn, watching as Ichigo moves forward ahead of Tam.

Tam keeps his hand on his sword hilt as he watches Ichigo ride ahead of him, the other man's whispered instructions still clear in his head. "Our wagon is surrounded, Akane and Kari are in danger. If they want a fight, I'll clear the road ahead, you take care of our sides." Surreptitiously, he loosens the blade in its scabbard, judging the distance between him and the bandit nearest to the wagon.

Riding at a slow trot towards the men blocking the road to Whitebridge, Ichigo and Zangetsu begin to categorize the biggest threats to their safety.

" **Only two bowmen hiding in the trees, I guess they think their numbers will stifle any resistance.** "

'Those will be the two I go for first if they don't cooperate and get the hell out of the way.' Ichigo feels a slight twist in his gut as he realizes that he might actually have to kill a normal living human for the first time in his life, but ruthlessly suppresses it when he remembers that he has slain many other non-human enemies in his past, and the lives of Kari, Akane and Rand are on his and Tam's shoulders. He finds it rather ironic that he has gone through two bloody wars filled with death and destruction, yet this minor roadside ambush would be his first time actually ending the life of a normal powerless human.

'... Think they will get out of the way?'

" **Not a chance in hell King.** "

Stopping several paces from the obvious leader of the group, the man wearing the most armor and riding a horse that looks to be newly acquired, Ichigo simply stares at him unblinkingly with a bored expression on his face. The bandits beside the leader grow uneasy as they look towards one another, wondering why the orange-haired man isn't speaking. The bandit leader in particular seems to be having trouble deciding between confusion and red-faced constipation, but apparently decides he's had enough and moves his horse forward until he is only a pace away from his 'prey'.

"There's a toll ye have to pay if ye want ter get to Whitebridge. Pay it and we leave ye alone, if not, well we'll still be taking our toll plus some extra for our troubles, hehe. We also saw the women, so if ye let us have them instead we'll let yer men pass for no charge at all, deal?" The man's rotten smile, his demands for payment and the discreet look he sends towards his archers in the trees make it easy for Ichigo to decide on his answer.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ichigo opens them again and places the full force of his glare upon the leader of the bandits. "How about you move aside right now, and I'll let you and your friends live?" His demand was marginally more honest, but he had no intention of letting the bandits continue to prey on innocent travelers; once they had set up camp for the night, he would be returning to put an end to the bandits permanently.

As it turns out, he wouldn't need to go to all that trouble. The bandit leader cringes back at first, his face showing shock before stupidity and arrogance reassert themselves. Quickly regaining confidence, his grin forms and then he starts howling with laughter. "Y-ye let us live!? Ahahaha, that is rich coming from ye! There only be two of ye and ….argk!"

None of the bandits see Ichigo's hand move, but the bandit leader's voice cuts off with a choked gurgle, and they realize that Ichigo's longer sword has been drawn and is now being held at an odd angle to the ground. Wondering what just happened, the bandits give a collective gasp when their leader's head topples from his neck, his body slumping from his horse a moment later. Before they can react, Ichigo surges into motion.

Galloping towards the closest of the two remaining horsemen, Ichigo uses an incantation-less Kidō to bind both men's arms to their sides before he lashes out with his longer sword again, removing the closest man's head, then twists in his saddle and uses his smaller Wakizashi to slash open the stomach of the second horseman who is struggling against his unseen binds as he passes. Deflecting two arrows with a whirl of his blades, he turns his horse around using his knees, sheaths both swords then snatches the axes from the belts of the dead riders and hurls them with his enhanced strength at the two archers in the trees. Two pained cries and the sound of bodies crashing through the branches lets him know his makeshift projectiles had struck home, so he draws his weapons again and urges his horse into the main group of bandits, knocking aside sword, ax and other melee weapons while dealing death and destruction to the bandits with blade and wordless Kidō.

The moment the fighting begins, Tam immediately turns his horse around and charges towards the bandit nearest to the wagon, sliding his sword out of its scabbard with practiced ease and ramming it straight through the chest of the stunned bandit. Pulling it out with a flick of his wrist, his eyes widen momentarily when the next closest bandit suddenly drops from the arrow that sprouts from his left eye, but regains his senses and takes advantage of the confusion to gallop towards his next enemy. The bandits appear to have finally caught on that they are being attacked, and ragged cries come from their throats as they charge towards Tam and the wagon. Tam swings his sword to deflect an ax, then lunges forward to decapitate his foe while moving his head to the side to avoid the sledgehammer being swung at his head. Kicking out at the hammer wielder, the former Illian Captain spurs his horse to trample over the unfortunate man before riding behind one of the bandits who is attempting to climb the wagon and thrusting his sword through the man's chest, piercing the man's heart and sending him toppling to the ground.

Wheeling his horse around to defend the vulnerable front of the wagon, Tam watches in fascination as Ichigo casually parries a bandit's sword with his shorter blade without even looking at the man, his own longer blade shearing through another bandit's arm at the elbow before piercing his throat with a quick follow up thrust. Ichigo's smaller sword suddenly tilts, causing the previous bandit to overbalance and fall forward before Ichigo's hand snaps out and drives the smaller sword through the second man's beaten armor plate all the way into his heart. Pulling his sword from the dying man, Ichigo rears his horse back to avoid an ax blow to the legs and lops off the bandit's head with his longer blade.

Seeing that the bandits around the wagon have mostly been dealt with, Ichigo is about to ride his horse back towards the wagon when the whizz of displaced air alerts him to an arrow flying in from behind. Reflexively striking out with his blade and slashing the arrow from the air, his heart thunders in his chest when he realizes the arrow was aimed not at him or Tam, but at the opening of the wagon where Akane, Rand and Kari are hiding; before he can turn to deal with the bowman however, an arrow streaks out from the wagon, hissing past him in a slipstream of displaced air, followed by a short scream and the muffled thump of a body hitting the floor.

This time, he doesn't dare to assume that the bowman is dead. Urging his horse forward at a canter, he quickly finds the bowman who had shot the first arrow. A look of shock is on the dead man's face, marred by the arrow that is buried up to the fletching in his eye. A nasty gash is on his thigh, along with a number of bruises which indicate that this was indeed one of the archers that Ichigo had knocked out from the trees earlier. Based on the dead man's crumpled position behind a tree, he had fired his arrow from half body cover behind the tree trunk, and the return shot that accurately claimed his life had taken him completely by surprise.

Looking around, Ichigo spots the body of the other archer lying at the base of a tree on the other side of the road, the ax still buried in his chest and his head tilted at an awkward angle to the body. It's unclear which wound killed him, but it's certain that the bandit is dead.

Seeing no more enemies around, Ichigo turns his horse around and hurries back to the wagon, where he sees Tam still watching their surroundings intently with his sword drawn, and Akane peeking out from inside the wagon with her bow half drawn. Hurriedly sheathing his swords, Ichigo leaps down from his horse and runs over to the wagon where he quickly looks Akane over for injuries. "Akane, I-"

She immediately shushes him. "You deflected the arrow, and I killed the archer. We're all safe Ichigo. Thank you."

He looks at the golden-haired woman with shock, and she just gives him an understanding smile. Ichigo is forcefully reminded that the woman before him was raised first as Royalty, then as an Aiel; in many ways, she outstrips him in practical experience as a warrior on the battlefield and as a leader of men. As, his frantic heartbeat slowly starts to ease up, he is able to give her a warm smile as well.

"... I'm glad to see you're okay, Akane. Great shot back there."

"Ahem." Their moment is interrupted by Tam, who looks pointedly at the bandit corpses scattered on the road around their wagon. "What do you want to do about this, Ichigo?"

Stepping back from a slightly blushing Akane, Ichigo surveys the dead bodies on the road. The three bandit horses appear to have survived, two of them looking rather gaunt and the last one belonging to the bandit leader looking the healthiest of the three. None of the other bandit possessions appear to be worth anything, and even so he finds the idea of looting their corpses distasteful to say the least.

"We'll have to get them off the road, can't leave them behind to obstruct other travelers." He finally decides. "Can we bury them?"

Tam just looks at him askance. "Bury them, in these woods? Even if you don't mind digging through roots and stones, scavengers will likely dig them up after we leave anyway."

While Ichigo wants to retort, he knows that Tam is correct. Burying the bandit corpses will be an arduous task due to the poor terrain, and it will be pointless in the end because scavengers will be lured in by the scent of carrion and quickly dig up the bodies from the freshly turned dirt. It just goes against his moral upbringing to leave dead bodies to rot out here in the wild.

"How about this? We dig out a shallow pit, toss the bodies in, then set them on fire. The pit should keep the fire contained, and the fire should get rid of the bodies." It was no true substitute for cremation, but at least the bodies won't be left to rot in the wild.

Tam considers this for a moment, then finally nods. "Alright, I can accept that. Let's get to it while the sun is still up, I won't want to make camp anywhere near here tonight."

Leaving their coats in the wagon and taking shovels with them, the two men quickly work together to dig out a shallow fire-pit in the woods large enough to contain the bodies of all the bandits without encroaching on any of the trees. Kari helps them to gather leaves and branches for kindling, while Akane remains with the wagon to guard Rand and the horses.

Finally, a fire is lit with the help of some lantern oil and copious amounts of wood and leaf. Kari quickly retreats back to the wagon, her face blanching at the sickly-sweet smell of burning human flesh, but the two men remain staring grimly at the fire and making sure that it doesn't go out of control and burn down the forest around them. Several times they have to add more wood to the fire to keep it burning, but soon the bodies are reduced to charred husks and embers.

"... Well, that's that." Tam speaks up gruffly, sheathing his sword at his side. The two of them had taken turns to clean their swords while waiting for the fire to die down, keeping an eye on the road and wagon at the same time. Ichigo nods in agreement, and with a last backward glance at the soon to be forgotten grave of the bandits, he follows the older man back to the wagon.

Now that the grim deed is done, the four of them press on hard along the road, hoping to put some distance between themselves and the dead bandits before setting up camp. The bandit horses follow them; surprisingly enough, they are docile and willing to be led, possibly a survival trait picked up from being in the company of bandits. Tam's sharp eyes are the ones that spot a clearing half-hidden in the woods beside the road as evening turns to dusk, and they guide the horses and wagon in and begin to set up camp after a quick examination of the surroundings to ensure there would be no hidden ambushes this time.

Seeing their two men return to the wagon after a second patrol around the area, Akane begins spooning stew into several bowls, handing Tam's wife two bowls and several slices of thick bread. Nodding his thanks to Akane, the Two Rivers man takes a seat beside his wife and takes a bowl from her, sighing contently as he savors the first spoonful of stew while she dips her bread into her bowl and takes a nibble. Looking around for Ichigo, Akane notices that he is staring away from the camp into the darkness of the surrounding woods with a brooding expression on his face, and she goes over to join him.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Her voice is quiet.

Ichigo glances at her, then back at the camp. Pulling lightly on her arm, he guides her deeper into the woods so that they're out of hearing range of the al'Thor's, yet still within their viewing range.

"Akane..." He begins hesitantly. "Would you believe me if I said that today was the first time that I've killed a man?"

Akane stares wide-eyed at him. Ichigo's expression is serious, and she knows he is not joking. "But... but how? Didn't you tell me you went through two wars back in your world? I know that you've also mentioned having to kill several people as well, was that all a lie?"

The Shinigami sighs as he runs his hands through his orange hair in frustration. "No, that was not a lie, but the problem lies in what my opponents were, Akane. I fought Hollows and Quincy, neither of them were truly human, not like the bandits we just killed. The two wars I fought in were bloody and destructive, but no human was killed by my hands... not until today at least."

She looks at him for a moment. "Then, what is eating at you? You didn't fight like an un-blooded squire would, and I don't see you puking your guts out over your first kill."

"That's exactly what's bothering me, Akane." He admits. "Today was the first time I killed a living person, and other than a slight clenching of my guts I didn't feel a thing. I killed people, Akane! Sure, they were bandits and murderers, but they were still living people! I shouldn't be taking it so calmly!"

Akane looks at Ichigo, trying to see things from his point of view. She herself wasn't too bothered by her kills, her time spent among the Aiel had long since hardened her to this aspect of life. Even as a Queen, she would have ordered the brigands put to the sword, and she would have done it herself if she had to in defense of her realm.

Her gut instinct is telling her, however, that Ichigo's problem lies not within the act of killing the brigands, but more of what they represent to him. What did he say, something about the living...?

"... Ichigo, who was the first enemy that you killed, and how old were you back then?" She finally asks him.

The orange-haired man looks at her quizzically. "Didn't I tell you before? It was a random Hollow that invaded my house, and I was still a teen... younger than twenty years of age, that is. Rukia gave me her powers, and I used them to purify the Hollow."

Akane frowns. "By purify, do you mean kill?"

Ichigo frowns as well. "Well... yes, I killed the Hollow, but purification with a Zanpakutō sends the souls trapped within the Hollow to the afterlife. It's not really killing in that sense of the word."

The golden-haired woman nods to herself. "So, these Hollows... how many have you killed so far? Did you feel sick or upset after killing them?"

Ichigo considers her words for a moment. "Dozens... perhaps hundreds of them. My hometown was constantly invaded by them, and several times the invasions were large enough to be considered an army. As for feeling sick, I did feel that way at first, but after Rukia explained that they were nearly mindless and driven by hunger I stopped feeling so squeamish about it."

Akane nods to herself again. "Then, these Quincy you mentioned. You said that they were not truly human?"

Ichigo frowns. "The Quincy I fought against were under the command of a man who considered himself a God. They viewed all other lifeforms as inferior to them, and were intent on conquering all of the known realms, starting with my friends and family in Soul Society. I'm not sure whether or not they could be considered living people, but it's clear that they did not consider themselves to be the same as ordinary living people, so the point was moot anyway."

Akane carefully presses on. "So, these Quincy... they were all your enemies? Did you know none of them at all? Did none of them have hopes and dreams, ambitions of their own? Family and friends that would be left behind if they were slain? Comrades who would swear vengeance upon you should you kill them?"

Ichigo goes completely still, his face turning pale. Somewhere, deep in his mind, he had known all of this, but he had blocked it out because he was fighting a war that he had to win at all costs. He couldn't afford to show any compassion to an enemy who had no mercy or compassion for him, but...

Uryū and Ryūken are Quincies too. Does that make them less human? Are they not living beings like him?

Seeing that her words have hit home, Akane continues speaking. "How about the Shinigami, those you count as your friends and allies? You told me that Shinigami are only trained after they die, so they are not living people. Would it make it any less painful if they are killed? Do they not have hopes and dreams as well, friends and family?"

A sinking feeling grows in Ichigo's stomach as he realizes the truth of her words. If he considers Hollows and Quincy to be 'non-living people', then the Shinigami should be considered the same way. Yet, there is a clear difference between the way he views killing a Hollow or Quincy and the way he views killing a Shinigami; it is clear to him now that he's always considered the Shinigami to be 'living people', even though they are long since dead.

Finally, Akane drives in the final nail of the coffin. "Do you truly believe that none of the Hollows had minds of their own, Ichigo? Do you believe that none of them had hopes and dreams, or ambitions of their own? They may be spiritual beings as you say, but are they not alive in their own way?"

Involuntarily, Ichigo's mind flashes back to Tier Harribel and her Arrancar, who had all evolved from simple Hollows into beings with complex thought and emotion, people who he considered to be his friends and allies. He could never consider cutting them down, they were far too important to him to ever do so, and he knew that they lived their lives as fully as they could despite being Hollows.

'Was... was I wrong all this time?' He wonders. 'Did I kill living beings, even if they were only spiritually alive, without any hesitation or remorse? Akane is right, if it were any of the Shinigami or even any of Tier's Arrancar being killed, I would have been outraged... but I could kill those Hollows and Quincy because they were not 'living people'? What the hell was I thinking?'

" **We were in a war back then, Ichigo.** " Zangetsu reminds him, although the Zanpakutō's warped voice is uncharacteristically solemn. " **You were forced to shoulder things that no one else your age should have had to, and you locked away a part of yourself as a result. It was the only way to prevent yourself from breaking down in that situation. Don't forget, there were many other people you fought with the intent to kill, and not all of them were Hollow or Quincy.** "

'But... why am I not breaking down now?' He demands. 'I've just had this bombshell dropped on me, so why am I not breaking down?'

" **Because you are stronger than that, Ichigo!** " Ichigo can feel his Zanpakutō spirit grabbing him by the figurative collar. " **Don't you forget, you are MY KING, and I acknowledged it! If you are a weakling who would roll over and puke over something like this, after everything you have experienced and all the battles you've been through, then there is no way I would let you keep that title! Pull yourself together and acknowledge that fact!** "

Unknowing of the conversation going on in Ichigo's head, but clearly able to see the turmoil in his expression, Akane reaches out and places a hand on his cheek. "Ichigo, look at me. I don't blame you, no one blames you for what you had to do to protect your friends and family. I'm also happy that your conflict lies not with your decision to kill the bandits, but with your lack of regret at killing them. It is a decision I have had to make myself, both as a former Daughter-Heir, and as an Aiel Spear Maiden... You are not a monster, you are human."

She pauses, then continues more quietly. "I didn't thank you properly back then, but thank you Ichigo: that arrow would surely have struck me if you didn't cut it from the air. You saved my life again... thank you."

Ichigo doesn't say anything, but he reaches up and squeezes her hand lightly. The conflict in his eyes has simmered down slightly, but it is still there, and his expression is still grave.

Smiling at him, Akane pulls her hand away from his face. "I'll keep some stew and bread heated for you, Ichigo. When you're done brooding, come and join us for supper."

Watching the golden-haired woman walk back into the circle of firelight, Ichigo hears Zangetsu comment in his head. " **Now that is what I call a Queen, Kingy.** "

'Shut up you.' Ichigo turns his mind to everything that Akane has said, realizing that she has addressed many of his fears and concerns that he doesn't even know he had. He wonders how many people she has had to give this speech to, both as a Queen and an Aiel.

" **She's right you know, you're just brooding now.** " Zangetsu's voice mocks him playfully. " **Deep down you've already accepted everything she says as true, but you just want to sulk about it.** "

'I know, I know.' Ichigo releases a deep sigh, staring up into the shrouded night sky and trying to spot the moon. 'It makes me wonder just what Akane has experienced in her life to become so wise. I thought myself more than skilled and experienced enough to handle life in this world, but this just proves that I have so much more to learn.'

Zangetsu chuckles. " **Ask her then. I'm sure she'll be willing to tell you all about her experiences. Just don't do it where the al'Thor's can listen, ya know just as well as I do that Tam and Kari still don't know her true origins.** "

'Good idea.' Casting one last wistful look at the sky, Ichigo turns around and heads back into camp, with a single thought left stewing in his mind:

'... Why didn't the Soul King or anyone else give me any of this advice?'

XXXX

As they approach the small bridge next to the only stone-built two-story structure in Emond's Field, Tigraine hears Ichigo quietly remark. "We made it, finally.

Casting a look behind them to see a smiling Kari al'Thor holding Rand in her arms while talking to her husband, the former Daughter-Heir nods her head in complete agreement with her companion's sentiments. During her years in Caemlyn, the often-forgotten Western reaches of Andor had only come up twice during her Mother's reign; the only one she remembers clearly is when the tabac crops had failed miserably that year and merchants had been forced to raise the prices to unheard of amounts. After that, she had never heard the place being spoken of again, and only remembered the region because she had been required to familiarize herself with the lands that her Mother, Queen Mordrellen Mantear ruled over and that she too would have to rule over when she took her Mother's throne, if only Moroso Aes Sedai hadn't had her visions.

However, those days spent in her Mother's court are long gone now. Today, she will truly begin her life as Akane Kurosaki, wife to a disguised Death God and mother to a beautiful baby boy who is destined to fight the Dark One at Tarmon Gai'don. Looking to the man riding next to her, she knows her hopes and dreams of her son living beyond that day will depend heavily on the training Rand receives from Ichigo once he grows old enough to understand the reasoning behind it. Her own responsibilities will lie in teaching her son politics and the art of dealing with nobility, it was something Ichigo had agreed wholeheartedly with when she brought it up during one of their late-night discussions. Despite being a noble himself, Tigraine senses that Ichigo has had issues with such people from his own world, something she has thought about asking in detail one day once they find a place to call their own.

Letting her thoughts wander, she smiles softly, thinking of how close she and Ichigo have truly grown during the long journey from the bloodied fields of Tar Valon. She fights off the pang of self-loathing that she feels at having abandoned Janduin and the Aiel, Rand never getting to know his true father a very real possibility for any who called the Three-Fold Lands home. She sends a silent prayer to the Creator that Janduin would live long enough to meet his child someday.

Pushing her thoughts of the past to the back of her mind, she turns her attentions to the future; a new future with Ichigo and Rand by her side. Glancing once again to the taller man next to her, Tigraine is happy to see his scowl is no longer a permanent fixture as it had been the first few days after their encounter with the bandits outside of Whitebridge. While Ichigo had admitted she had made him see the reality of her arguments, she knows that killing the 'living' would always leave a bitter taste in his mouth. It makes her doubly glad that Tam, having sensed the same thing, insisted that Ichigo go hunting with him afterwards, the two men seeming to have bonded quickly over the activity. It also helps that Ichigo's use of the bow have begun showing results with the other man's tutelage... She still outshoots both him and Tam though.

Incidentally, it was because of the hunting that Ichigo accidentally revealed a hidden talent of his: he can cook, far better than her and Kari in fact. When the two women pressed him on where he learnt to cook, a sad smile formed on his face when he told them how after his Mother had died, his youngest sister had taken over doing the household chores which included making dinner for the family. Yuzu, he said, became the mistress of the kitchen, and by helping her in the kitchen over time she in turn taught him everything he knew about cooking.

By the time they reached the Taren River, the small group had grown very close to one another, which helped them considerably when they found themselves being uncomfortably aware of the numerous suspicious looks being directed their way from the Taren Ferry folk as they attempted to cross the river on the only barge available for leagues in any direction. She even found herself huddling subconsciously closer to Rand in the wagon; Ichigo on the other hand seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face, and his disposition soured quickly when his enhanced hearing picked up several disparaging remarks being directed at them from their backs. Akane shivers lightly, remembering when she had first seen the white of his eyes turn pitch black and golden orbs replaced the warm brown orbs. It was her first experience at seeing his inner-Hollow - as he called it - seeping through.

When they stopped for the night, choosing to set up camp some distance from the town with a clear view of anyone coming up the path towards them, she had asked Ichigo about what she had seen, keeping her voice low so that the al'Thor's wouldn't overhear them.

' _It was Zangetsu, he was getting pissed at what we were hearing back there._ ' Ichigo answered her quietly.

Confused by his answer, she asked him as much. ' _Why would he be angry at what they were saying about you?_ '

Ichigo's face only darkened as he gave a small chuckle. ' _Oh, he wasn't mad at what they were saying about me, hell if anything he was able to think of some useful taunts for the next time we get to spar._ '

' _If he wasn't mad about them speaking about you, then why did your eyes change?_ '

Ichigo's eyes met hers for a brief moment. ' _He was mad about what they said about you._ ' Came the hesitant answer.

Surprised, Akane couldn't help herself from asking. ' _Me? What do you mean by that Ichigo?_ '

Turning on his side so he could face her fully, he explained his Hollow's actions as best as he could. ' _Zangetsu is a Hollowfied Zanpakutō… which means as a Hollow, he is very… well, he's very territorial when it comes to what he considers ours._ ' He stared at her, willing her to get the hint.

It only took her several moments of thought to connect the dots, and her eyes widened.

' _Oh. I see._ '

She was very sure that it was the night that had grown warmer, not her cheeks that were flushing.

Thankfully for all of them, the next village had proven much friendlier, which in turn helped Ichigo's temper improve for the better. Even so, once they drive the wagon over the small bridge that marks the beginning of Emond's Field proper, she too lets out a sigh of relief.

"We're finally here." She whispers to herself as well, as she and Ichigo dismount from their horses. Tam had switched with her earlier in the day to spend some time with Kari, and he was now guiding the horse-drawn wagon to a stop next to the building.

"The Winespring Inn. Nice name." Ichigo remarks as he stretches his limbs after tying the horses to a post outside the inn. Interestingly enough, the three bandit horses are still with them, having formed a surprising attachment to Akane and Ichigo. Patting the horses that are looking much healthier and happier now, Ichigo turns around and begins to survey the surrounding homes and the few country folk milling about outside looking curiously at them.

Tam hops down from the wagon and gives a small laugh. "When I was a boy, this place was the biggest place I thought to exist. Now…"

"…Now after seeing the world, it puts it all into perspective." Kari remarks as she steps down from the wagon with her husband's assistance, cradling Rand in her arms.

Akane though has a different thought. "It's so peaceful here..."

The former Daughter-Heir knows now that she has chosen this place correctly.

"A hole in the middle of nowhere." Ichigo says quietly as he comes over to stand next to her. "The perfect place to hide."

Akane cannot agree more. "We should rent a room Ichigo, I doubt we will find a place to purchase for today."

Nodding his head in agreement, he turns and accepts a giggling Rand from Kari al'Thor's arms. Thanking the woman while absently tickling the babe's cheek, he looks to her husband. "Well Tam, this is your home. Lead away."

Smiling, the Blademaster looks at the inn with a fond expression. "This inn has been in the al'Vere family for generations. Last time I stepped foot inside, I was chased out by Marin al'Vere because I was covered head to toe in mud after helping Abell wrestle his Da's pigs when they escaped their pen." Tam's reminiscent face reminds the disguised Daughter-Heir briefly of the same looks Ichigo would have when he spoke of his homeworld during their late-night talks, and she also feels a pang in her heart as it brings up memories of Galad once again. Blinking, she forces the memories back into her heart where they belong and gives the older man a warm smile.

Gesturing for them to follow him, Tam takes the lead by strolling over to the door of the inn, pushing it open and stepping aside to allow the others to enter before him. Ichigo allows Kari and Akane to enter first before stepping inside, with Tam following him and closing the door once they are all within the building.

Akane is immediately struck by a warm sense of 'home' the moment she enters the inn. The place smells of home cooking and the air is pleasantly warm from the single large fire banking in the fireplace. The furnishings are of simple design but beautifully-crafted, and are clearly decades old, if not older, but are extremely well taken care of. Sensing movement from the corner of her eye, she turns and sees a large male tom slowly making his way along one of the walls before pausing, then suddenly pouncing on its prey. When the cat turns back towards them, a fat mouse hangs limply from his jaws, and the greyish-white cat gives them a considering look before curling up by the fireplace to devour its meal.

She is jostled from watching the cat when a woman's voice fills the silence of the inn. "Tam? Tam al'Thor? By the Light it is you! Bran! Bran, come quick! Tam al'Thor has returned!"

Turning around, Akane sees a rather plump middle-aged woman emerging from the rear of the inn, most likely where the kitchen is located judging from the steam she sees billowing out from the door behind the woman.

"Marin!" Tam loudly says as he closes the distance to the now-named woman.

Akane notices Kari eyeing the woman oddly but keeps her thoughts to herself as Tam turns around to them while holding the woman's arm in his own. "Marin, I have someone you have to meet. Kari, please come here."

Kari approaches the pair and when she is about a pace away, Tam steps away from Marin and steps next to his wife, taking her hand into his own. "Marin, this is Kari. Kari al'Thor."

Ichigo and Akane both wince when the woman squeals, her voice seeming to double in volume when she shouts again. "Bran al'Vere, you get out here at once mister!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming Marin. Really, do you need…to…shout?" The middle-aged, slightly balding man that appears huffing from the same door that his wife had came out from earlier stops and stares at the group as he somehow recognizes one of them. "Tam al'Thor? Is that really you?"

Greeting the stunned, somewhat heavyset man, Tam al'Thor walks over and takes the other man's hand, pumping it firmly. "Yes, it is me Bran. Things changed for me out there and I… no, we decided to come home."

"We?" The innkeeper asks him blankly, just as his wife, who is beaming widely, hurries over to Tam's side with his wife being pulled along by her arms.

"He's married! We have to hold a celebration Bran! I'll go meet with the Women's Circle and you and the men get the Square ready! Now shoo you men, we have…" She is cut off by Tam's polite cough.

"Marin, as much as I appreciate that, I didn't come alone." Shifting, he motions his hands towards the other couple who are staring at them with amused looks in their eyes. "I'd like you to meet Ichigo Kurosaki, his wife Akane and their son, Rand. We... well, we met under strenuous circumstances Marin."

The al'Vere's do not fail to notice the tightening of expressions in all four visitors to their inn, Bran shifting nervously on his feet as he quickly connects the dots. "You were in that war, weren't you Tam? The one against those blood thirsty Aiel?"

Noticing the gasp from Bran's wife Marin, Ichigo decides to quell this line of thought before it can gain traction. "Blood thirsty? I highly doubt that Master al'Vere." His remark surprises everyone in the room, most of all Akane who wonders what Ichigo is trying to do.

Tam, who had fought the Aiel for over three years, frowns at Ichigo's comment, but knows the other man well enough to wait and listen to what he has to say.

Motioning for all of them to take a seat at the largest table, Ichigo glances at Akane and gives her a small smile before beginning his explanation.

"Did any of our leaders ever question the timing of the Aiel coming over the Dragonwall, Tam? Didn't they find it strange that the Aiel bypassed numerous towns and villages without sacking them and headed straight towards the Capital of Cairhien, specifically the palace where King Lamon lived, where he chopped down a certain symbol of friendship between the Cairhien and the Aiel?" Seeing the stunned, then thoughtful look on his friend's face, Ichigo gives a knowing nod of understanding. "I didn't think anyone else saw that as a possibility, and only wanted to bring this up when we were in a safe place to discuss it."

Looking towards the uncertain-looking Emond Fielders's, Ichigo crosses his arms and puts on an expression of deep contemplation. "You see, Master and Mistress al'Vere, one of the things I studied during my service is the reason behind why we fight the wars we do. While the war with the Aiel is the most recent, I also studied the last War of Succession in Andor and their border disputes with Murandy."

Akane hides her shock at hearing Ichigo's admittance to knowing what had happened in her homeland after her disappearance, even though he did not know who she was when they first met. Sitting there quietly, she gently rocks Rand in her arms as she pays careful attention to Ichigo's words as he continues to speak.

"For this Aiel war, I strongly suspect that the Aiel came over the Dragonwall and headed straight for Cairhien not to start a war, but to kill King Laman as revenge for chopping down a supposed sapling of the legendary Aiel tree known as Avendesora. If you haven't heard of by now, Avendesora is thought to be held sacred by the Aiel, and the sapling was a gift that was priceless beyond measure to them. Can you imagine what their outrage would have been once they found out that the fool had chopped down their gift to make his damn throne? I honestly don't blame them for getting pissed, he took the symbol that granted Cairhien a monopoly of trade and free passage across one of the most inhospitable places on our world for hundreds of years and turned it into a mockery of their trust. From the few people who have talked to an Aielman, I have learned how prickly the Aiel are about their honor, so would you be surprised if the real reason the Aiel came over the Dragonwall was to exact revenge for a crime they perceived as unforgivable? That said, unless we meet an Aiel sometime soon, everything I am saying is mere speculation without fact to back it up. Though... what I do know is that the Aiel in this war have not pillaged those they have beaten, or committed any crimes that you would normally associate with an invading army." He glances over to the former Captain. "How about it Tam, did you hear of any atrocities being committed by the Aiel during your years of service with Illian's King?"

Both men ignore the gasps coming from the al'Vere's, as well as the mutters of 'My word' and 'Illian's King?' coming from Bran al'Vere, while Marin looks completely flustered like she is somehow serving Royalty. Tam had taken on a very pensive look as Ichigo explained his theory, and he slowly nods in agreement as he remembers the haunted faces of the women who had been shown the 'tender' mercies of the Tairen soldiers that had occupied Illian's towns and villages along the eastern borders during their numerous clashes, clashes that had only come to a halt when the Aiel poured across the Dragonwall and the fractured nations were forced to unite in order to drive them back. He had seen none of those atrocities being committed by the Aiel during the Aiel war. Furthermore, after hearing Ichigo's theory, he realizes that the Aiel had only began retreating westward after King Laman had disappeared on the third day of the final battle, almost as if an invisible signal had been given the moment he... Tam sighs, knowing the King must have died, with the Aiel simply beginning to disengage and moving back towards the Spine of the World at a calm and unhurried trot, at least based on the last report he had read before leaving with his wife and the Kurosaki's for the Two Rivers.

"He could be right Bran, I never thought of the reasons why the Aiel came, and now that I think about it, everywhere King Laman fled to the Aiel were right behind him. For three years they never stopped their pursuit until we made our stand outside of Tar Valon with King Laman disappearing on the third day…" The former Captain sends Ichigo a long speculative look. "Interesting theory Ichigo, very interesting."

Akane suddenly feels Tam's eyes dart to her, specifically towards her still short but growing hair. She had stopped wearing her hood several weeks into their journey, once her hair had grown out some and she was more comfortable being around the al'Thor's. "Now, if only we had an Aiel to confirm your theory Ichigo..."

Sensing the man's interest in the former Maiden of the Spear, Ichigo puts a comforting hand over hers under the table. "If only we had Tam, then I'm sure we'd find out the truth one way or another."

Meeting his gaze evenly, Ichigo smiles when Tam gives him a small nod as one husband to another. Turning his gaze towards the now discomfited-looking al'Vere couple, Ichigo gives them a short apologetic bow. "That said, the war is over and old grudges should be left in the past. I do not wish to further intrude upon your reunion Master al'Vere, so is it possible for Akane and I to rent a room or two until we can find some land to buy?"

Jerking a bit as he snaps out of his own thoughts, the heavyset innkeeper briefly begins to smile, then hesitates when he registers the request. "Of course Master Kurosaki, but why would you need more than one room?"

Ichigo smiles at him. "It would be easier for Akane and I to store our belongings here so we could easily retrieve them without having to constantly visit the stables. Furthermore, it would allow Akane to breastfeed Rand in privacy if she so wishes to." Akane blushes slightly, but does not dispute his point, and the eyes of the innkeeper and his wife are immediately drawn to the baby in her arms.

"Oh, you have a baby! I'm so sorry dearie, I must have overlooked him somehow!" Marin gushes automatically, clearly wanting nothing more than to get up from her seat and hurry over to Akane's side to coo over the infant in her arms.

Akane hurriedly waves her off. "I'm sorry, Mistress al'Vere, but it has been a long trip and I'm feeling rather tired. Perhaps after I've had some rest and refreshment?"

"Oh, just call me Marin." The innkeeper's wife immediately counters, her face putting on an expression of mock-sternness. "Mistress al'Vere is for the naughty children who bring their mud into my inn."

Tam coughs, flushing slightly as Kari giggles at him. Bran al'Vere just looks bemusedly from him to Ichigo, then to Kari and Akane, and then his wife.

"Well... I suppose we can rent out two rooms." He finally says. Standing to his feet, the stocky innkeeper extends his hand towards Ichigo. "Ah, I almost forgot. As the innkeeper and Mayor of our humble village, allow me to be the first to welcome you, the... ah, Kurosaki's to Emond's Field. Welcome, Ichigo, Akane and Rand. I hope you find our quiet village to your liking."

Taking the man's hand and shaking it firmly with his own, Ichigo grins as he speaks their true feelings on this matter. "Akane and I already believe that this is the perfect place to raise our family, Master Bran."

XXXX

AN: So once again I am working on Destiny Path's next chapter. After a few tries I think I finally found something I like to start the chapter with. So that will be the next story to be updated. Like I said at the start of the story, I couldn't think about anything else really after reading A Different Wheel by st122. It was a great idea and now I will write my own version of that story. So, I hope you will enjoy this story as much as I will enjoy writing it.


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